Short communication: Cholesterol oxidation products in traditional buttermilk

The aim of this study was to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the content of cholesterol oxidation products in traditional buttermilk after butter production. Cholesterol oxidation products (COP) exhibit a wide spectrum of biological activity, including cytotoxic, carcinogenic, and pro-oxidative properties. Buttermilk has about 2 mg of COP/kg of fat, including 7β-hydroxycholesterol and 5,6α-epoxycholesterol. Buttermilk immediately after production had a relatively high level of 7β-hydroxycholesterol (1.47 mg/kg), which decreased to 0.61 mg/kg after storage for 10 h at 3°C. During storage, the content of 5,6α-epoxycholesterol increased from 0.50 to 1.40 mg/kg. After 10 h of storage, the antioxidant potential of the buttermilk decreased (expressed as radical scavenging ability; change in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl = 32.2%). This study showed the presence of COP in fresh and stored buttermilk and the influence of time on changing the direction of cholesterol oxidation.