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Vitamin E and antioxidant interactions in biological systems

  • Chapter
Bioradicals Detected by ESR Spectroscopy

Part of the book series: Molecular and Cell Biology Updates ((MCBU))

Abstract

Vitamin E is the collective name for a group of naturally-occurring tocopherols and tocotrienols found abundantly in plants, especially in plant oils (Sheppard et al., 1993). Both tocopherols and tocotrienols have a chromanol head group and a phytyl side chain. Differing methyl substitutions around the aromatic ring of the head group determine whether a tocopherol or a tocotrienol is designated alpha, beta, gamma, or delta (α, β, γ or δ) (Packer, 1994). The tocotrienols and tocopherols thus designated have identical structures in the chromanol nucleus but the hydrophobic tail, which anchors vitamin E molecules into membranes or in lipoproteins, differs. In tocotrienols, there are three unsaturated linkages in the tail, whereas in tocopherols it is fully saturated. It is not surprising that some of the biological actions of tocotrienols and tocopherols differ because of this structural difference.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3200, USA

    L. Packer

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  1. L. Packer
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Life Support Technology of Yamagata Technopolis Foundation, 683 Kurumanomae, 990, Numagi Yamagata, Yamagata, Japan

    H. Ohya-Nishiguchi

  2. 251 Life Science Addition Membrane Bioenergetics Group, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, 94720, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Lester Packer

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© 1995 Birkhäuser Verlag

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Packer, L. (1995). Vitamin E and antioxidant interactions in biological systems. In: Ohya-Nishiguchi, H., Packer, L. (eds) Bioradicals Detected by ESR Spectroscopy. MCBU Molecular and Cell Biology Updates. Birkhäuser Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-9059-5_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-9059-5_17

  • Publisher Name: Birkhäuser Basel

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-0348-9888-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-0348-9059-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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