The separation and purification of stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol from phytosterol mixtures by solvent crystallization method was studied based on the difference of the solubility of stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol or the difference of solubility with temperature using n-pentanol or cyclohexanone as a solvent. The experimental results showed that the content of beta-sitosterol was over 85% after three stages of recrystallization operation in cyclohexanone and the content of stigmasterol was more than 90% after five stages of fractional crystallization operation in n-pentanol or cyclohexanone under the experimental operating conditions. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.