**2.3 Phytosterols**

Phytosterols, primarily β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol, are structurally similar to cholesterol and occur in a variety of plant types (**Figure 5**) [8, 10]. Phytosterols have a double bond at carbon-5 that can be saturated by enzymatic hydrogenation in plants or during food processing to form plant stanols. They are assumed to have a wide variety of biological potentials and are a rich source of grain legumes, vegetable oils, cereal grains, and nuts. β-sitosterol was identified in lentils to be a common component in plants, of which the level was 123.4 mg/100 g, followed by 20.0 mg/100 g of stigmasterol and 15.0 mg/100 g of campesterol [13]. Additionally, β-sitosterol was found as the predominant compound in cooked lentils, ranging from 15.4 to 24.2 mg/100 g [8].
