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Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1389-5575
ISSN (Online): 1875-5607

Review Article

Vitamin E - Occurrence, Biosynthesis by Plants and Functions in Human Nutrition

Author(s): Renata Szymańska*, Beatrycze Nowicka and Jerzy Kruk

Volume 17, Issue 12, 2017

Page: [1039 - 1052] Pages: 14

DOI: 10.2174/1389557516666160725094819

Price: $65

Abstract

Objective: This review examines various aspects of vitamin E, both in plant metabolism and with regard to its importance for human health. Vitamin E is the collective name of a group of lipidsoluble compounds, chromanols, which are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. Their biosynthetic pathway, intracellular distribution and antioxidant function in plants are well recognized, although their other functions are also considered.

Conclusion: Analytical methods for the determination of vitamin E are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the vitamin E metabolism and its antioxidant action in humans are described. Other nonantioxidant functions of vitamin E are also presented, such as its anti-inflammatory effects, role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer, as well as its protective functions against neurodegenerative and other diseases.

Keywords: Antioxidants, diseases, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, tocopherols, tocopherol transfer protein, tocotrienols, vitamin E.

Graphical Abstract

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