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Antioxidative Activity of Vitamin E

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Vitamin E in Human Health

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

Abstract

Vitamin E includes lipophilic derivatives of chromanol having one, two, or three methyl substituents on the phenolic ring. Vitamin E molecules, mainly α- and γ-tocopherols, are the most important antioxidants in nature. Their antioxidant effect is optimum at a certain range of concentrations, above which the vitamin exhibits a loss of efficacy or a prooxidant effect depending on the external conditions, including the nature of existing lipids and interfacial compounds, temperature, etc. Recent understandings of antioxidant mechanisms highlighted the importance of the microenvironment and how it influences synergistic and antagonistic interactions. Vitamin E components are not only antioxidants protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids from free radical attack, but they also seem to have stabilizing role in cell membranes, where molecular organization plays a very important role. In biological systems, α-tocopherol functions as part of an integrated antioxidant defense system in concert with vitamin C and other hydrophilic components. This chapter reviews the chemical basis of the antioxidant mechanism of vitamin E according to contemporary knowledge.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, College of Food & Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Afaf Kamal-Eldin

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  1. Afaf Kamal-Eldin
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Correspondence to Afaf Kamal-Eldin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Hohenheim, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Stuttgart , Germany

    Peter Weber

  2. University of Applied Sciences Fulda, Nutritional, Food and Consumer Sciences, Fulda, Germany

    Marc Birringer

  3. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Jeffrey B. Blumberg

  4. University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplain 1, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Manfred Eggersdorfer

  5. University of Hohenheim, Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Stuttgart , Germany

    Jan Frank

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Kamal-Eldin, A. (2019). Antioxidative Activity of Vitamin E. In: Weber, P., Birringer, M., Blumberg, J., Eggersdorfer, M., Frank, J. (eds) Vitamin E in Human Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05315-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05315-4_3

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