Vitamin E and Its Related Compounds as Antioxidants

Abstract

Vitamin E acts as a potent and safe, lipid-soluble antioxidant by scavenging primarily chain-carrying peroxyl radical and interrupting chain sequence. Four kinds of tocopherols and also four kinds of tocotrienols are known as vitamin E. Various kinds of vitamin E related compounds have been synthesized and their antioxidant activities have been compared. It was stressed that the antioxidant activities in vivo are determined not only by their inherent reactivities toward oxygen radicals but also by their local concentrations at a specific site where the oxidations are taking place. © 1989, The Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan. All rights reserved.