Mixtures of cholesterol with stearic (STA), oleic (OA), and linoleic (LA) acids spread as monolayers at the air/water interface were used as model systems to examine the hypocholesterolemic effect of fatty acids. Miscibility and interactions between the components of the cholesterol/fatty acid systems were studied basing on the analysis of surface pressure/area isotherms completed with Brewster angle microscopy images. In monolayers, STA and cholesterol were found to be immiscible. In contrast, OA and LA were found to form miscible, but nonideal mixed monolayers with cholesterol. They exhibit negative deviations from ideality in the surface pressure/area plots. This reflects close-packing arrangements between bulky cholesterol molecule and the hydrocarbon chains of unsaturated fatty acids. The analysis of the excess free energies of mixing shows that the maximum negative value of Delta G(exc) appears at about X-chol = 0.5-0.7. Thus, the formation of the most stable 1:1 and 2:1 complexes between cholesterol and an unsaturated fatty acid molecule may account for the hypocholesterolemic effect of the acids in human organism by complexing free cholesterol, thereby hindering its deposition on artery walls.