Identification of 22‐, 24‐ and 26‐Hydroxycholesterol in the Steroid Sulphate Fraction of Faeces from Infants

A fraction of solvolyzable sterol conjugates with the chromatographic properties of steryl sulphates was isolated from pooled faeces collected from infants 1–4 and 6–12 months old. The major sterols in this fraction were analyzed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. The pool from the younger infants was shown to contain cholesterol and 22α‐, 24χ‐, and 26‐hydroxycholesterol and the pool from the older infants contained cholesterol, campesterol, β‐sitosterol, and 22α‐, and 24χ‐hydroxycholesterol. The concentrations of cholesteryl and 24‐hydroxy‐cholesteryl sulphates were higher in faeces from the older than from the younger subjects.