β-Sitosterol Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation and Lipogenesis Disorder in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells

beta-sitosterol, a natural plant steroid, has been shown to promote anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in the body. In this study, beta-sitosterol was used to protect against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cell damage in bovine mammary epithelial cells, which are commonly studied as a cell model of mammary inflammatory response and lipogenesis. Results showed that treatment with a combination of LPS and beta-sitosterol significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, while increasing the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins and activating the hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1 alpha)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) signaling pathway to inhibit apoptosis and improve lipid synthesis-related gene expression. Our finding suggests that beta-sitosterol has the potential to alleviate inflammation in the mammary gland.