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Vitamin E is a group of eight compounds related in molecular structure that includes four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. The tocopherols function as fat-soluble antioxidants which may help protect cell membranes from reactive oxygen species. Vitamin E is classified as an essential nutrient for humans.
Vitamin E was named "tocopherol" (from the Greek words tokos, meaning childbirth, and phero, meaning to bring forth) due to its presumed role in aiding conception. Subsequent research identified eight molecules in the vitamin E family, divided into tocopherols and tocotrienols: alpha, beta, delta, and gamma forms. [ 18 ]
For example, vitamin C can be synthesized by some species but not by others; it is not considered a vitamin in the first instance but is in the second. Most vitamins are not single molecules, but groups of related molecules called vitamers. For example, there are eight vitamers of vitamin E: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.
As part of their adaptation from marine life, terrestrial plants began producing non-marine antioxidants such as ascorbic acid (), polyphenols, and tocopherols.The evolution of angiosperm plants between 50 and 200 million years ago resulted in the development of many antioxidant pigments – particularly during the Jurassic period – as chemical defences against reactive oxygen species that ...
Multivitamins nutrition facts label showing that the international unit of, for example, vitamins D and E correspond to different gram values. In pharmacology, the international unit (IU) is a unit of measurement for the effect or biological activity of a substance, for the purpose of easier comparison across similar forms of substances.
α-Tocopherol (alpha-tocopherol) is a type of vitamin E.Its E number is "E307". Vitamin E exists in eight different forms, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols.All feature a chromane ring, with a hydroxyl group that can donate a hydrogen atom to reduce free radicals and a hydrophobic side chain, along with an aromatic ring is situated near the carbonyls in the fatty acyl chains of the ...
By definition, phytochemicals include all nutritional and non-nutritional components of edible plants. [37] Included as nutritional constituents are provitamin A carotenoids , [ 38 ] whereas those without nutrient status are diverse polyphenols , flavonoids , resveratrol , and lignans that are present in numerous plant foods. [ 39 ]
The relative importance of the antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities of antioxidant vitamins is an area of current research, but vitamin C, for example, appears to have a mostly antioxidant action in the body. [7] [9] However, less data is available for other dietary antioxidants, such as polyphenol antioxidants, [10] zinc, [11] and vitamin E ...