Free and glycosylated sterol bioaccumulation in developing Cycas micronesica seeds.

The bioaccumulation of free and glycosylated forms of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were determined from Cycas micronesica K.D. Hill seeds throughout seed ontogeny. Per-seed pool of the four compounds increased linearly from 2 to 24 months, indicating no developmental period elicited a major shift in the rate of bioaccumulation. The slopes were not homogeneous, signifying a change in relative sterol profile concomitant with seed maturation. This shift was in favour of the glucosides, as their rate of accumulation exceeded that of the free sterols. Stigmasterol content exceeded that of β-sitosterol, but ontogeny did not influence the ratio of these dominant sterols. The quantity and quality of sterol exposure during consumption of foods prepared from gametophytes by humans is strongly influenced by age of harvested seeds. Results are critical for a further understanding of the link between human neurodegenerative diseases and historical consumption of foods derived from the seed gametophyte tissue.