STUDIES ON MICROBIAL PRODUCTION OF CHOLESTEROL OXIDASE AND ITS MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Cholesterol is the most abundant lipid found in the human body including the brain, spinal cord, serum, and other tissues. Cholesterol plays important physiological functions as well as structural roles in a cell; as an essential component of cell plasma membranes, neurotransmitters, and hormones. The U.K. government, as per the 1992 Health of The Nation Report (The Health of The Nation, 1992) and the United States as per the recommendations of the National Research Council (National Research Council, 1989) have recognized the need to limit dietary cholesterol intake. The elevated level of serum cholesterol poses certain life-threatening risks to human life and also plays a major role in the onset of serious diseases like atherosclerotic plaque formation, hypertension and coronary heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.