Parrot (asker) Mar 7, 2007:

Client sent info from the Cyberlipid centre: In higher plants, the first sterols were isolated by Hesse (1878) from the Calabar beans (Phytostigma venenosum) which coined the term "phytosterine". This substance was later named stigmasterol (Windaus and Hault, 1906) from the plant genus. The denomination "phytosterol" was proposed in 1897 (Thoms H) for all sterols of vegetal origin. Chemically, these sterols have the same basic structure as cholesterol but differences arise from the lateral chain which is modified by the addition of one or two supernumerary carbon atoms at C-24 with either a or b chirality. The 24-alkyl group is characteristic of all phytosterols and is preserved during subsequent steroid metabolism in both fungi and plants to give hormones that regulate growth and reproduction in a manner similar to animals.

sugrass Mar 5, 2007:

Mi duda es: si se trata de "phytosterol", por qué el contexto dice "fitosferina" y no "fitoesterol", término que sí existe en castellano y es tan común? Los nombres pueden ser similares, pero muchas veces la química no dice lo mismo:-) Hasta ahora no he encontrado una traducción lógica de "fitosferina" como componente del aceite de sésamo. Sí encontré "sesamin", "sesamol" y "sesamolin", pero nada que se parezca a "fitosferina".

Lorenia de la Vega Mar 5, 2007:

Yo creo que sí es la opción adecuada: steroid alcohol, phytochemicals naturally occurring in plants. They are white powders with mild, characteristic odor, insoluble in water and soluble in alcohols. They have many applications as food additives, and in medicine and cosmetics... Presence of brassicasterol, together with auxiliary markers α-linolenic acid and erucic acid, is a marker of adulteration of soybean oil and sunflower oil with rapeseed oil... Many margarines, butters, breakfast cereals and spreads are now enriched with phytosterols.

Parrot (asker) Mar 5, 2007:

Se trata de aceite de sésamo "La porción no saponificable incluye vitaminas liposolubles y elevadas concentraciones de tocoferol en sus tres polimorfos naturales... así como sustancias de origen diverso, tales como alcoholes (fitosferina...) que sirven para su identificación mediante las reacciones de Baudouin y de Soltsein."

sugrass Mar 5, 2007:

No creo que la fitosferina sea un esteroide. Tendrías más contexto?