Vitamin E

VITAMIN E
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Learning Objectives
• At the end of the session, the students will able to explain about
• 1. Definition?
• 2. Chemistry of Vitamin E
• 3. Absorption
• 4. Biochemical functions
• 5. Recommended Dietary Allowance RDA
• 6. Dietary sources of vitamin E
• 7. Deficiency of vitamin E
Topic Vitamin E Contd..
Chemical Nature:
Vitamin E is chemically known as tocopherol (Greek: tocos=childbirth,
piro=to bear and ol=alcohol)
• An alcohol was capable to prevent reproductive failure in
animals
• Hence it is known as anti-sterility vitamin
• Chemistry:
• Vitamin E is the name given to group of tocopherols and tocotrienols
Topic Vitamin K Contd..
About 8 tocopherols have been identified
Alpha- tocopherol is most active
The tocopherols are derivatives of 6-hydroxy chromane (tocol) ring with

isoprenoid side chain
The antioxidant property is due to the chromane ring
There are four main forms of tocopherols

Topic Vitamin K Contd..
They are
α -tocopherol : 5,7,8 trimethyl tocol

β -tocopherol : 5,8 dimethyl tocol
γ -tocopherol :7,8 dimethyl tocol
δ -tocopherol : 8 methyl tocopherol
α –tocopherol is most active and predominant form of vitamin E
Tocotrienols : There are four related vitamin E compounds called α,β,γ and δ
tocotrienols
Storage
Vitamin E is absorbed along with fat in the upper small intestine.
 Mainly stored in liver and adipose tissue
Present in biological membranes, because of its affinity to
phospholipids
 Transportation:
 Dietary vitamin E is incorporated to chylomicrons

 In the circulation, chylomicrons transport vitamin E to the peripheral tissue or to
the liver
 Hepatic vitamin E is incorporated to VLDL
 In the circulation, VLDL is converted LDL
 Vitamin E is transported with LDL to reach the peripheral tissues including adipose
tissue.
Biochemical Function:
Most of the functions of the vitamin E are related to its antioxidant
property
It prevents the non-enzymatic oxidations of various cell components by
molecular oxygen and free radicals such as superoxide and hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2)
Selenium helps in these functions
It protects the PUFA (Poly unsaturated fatty acids) from

peroxidation reactions
• Vitamin E is essential for membrane structure and integrity of the cell,
hence it is membrane antioxident
• It protects the RBC from hemolysis by oxidizing agents (H2O2)
• It is associated with reproductive function and prevents sterility
• Vitamin E preserves and maintains germinal epithelium of gonads for proper

reproductive function
• It increases the synthesis of heme by enhancing the activity of enzyme – δ
aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthase and ALA dehydratase
• It is required for cellular respiration –through ETC (Stabilize coenzyme Q)
• Vitamin E prevents the oxidation of Vitamin A and carotenes
• It is required for proper storage of creatine in skeletal muscle

It is required for absorption of amino acids from intestine
•It is involved in synthesis of nucleic acids
•It protects the liver from toxic compounds uch as carbontetrachloride
• It works in association with vitamin A,C and beta-carotene, to delay the onset of
cataract
Males -10 mg/day

Females - 8 mg/day
Pregnancy - 10 mg/day
Lactation - 12 mg/day
15 mg of vitamin E is equivalent to 33 IU
Pharmacological dose is 200-400 IU/day
Sources:
Rich sources are vegetable oils

Includes germ oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and margarine
In humans, deficiency of vitamin E is seen in

Premature infants:
Transfer of vitamin E from meternal blood occurs during last few weeks
of pregnancy
Premature infants will have vitamin E deficiency
Impaired absorption: Seen in conditions such as
 abetalipoproteinemia (fat malabsorption)
Obstructive jaundice
Intestinal diseases such as celiac spure
Genetic vitamin E deficiency:It is caused by lack of a protein that

normally transports α-tocopherol from hepatocytes to VLDL
Clinical features:
Hemolytic anemia or macrocytic anemia seen in premature infants
In adults, increased susceptibility of erythrocytes for hemolysis under
oxidative stress.
Muscle weakness and proteinuria is seen
Muscular dystrophy
Vitamin E deficiency leads to increased oxidation of PUFA, with
consumption of oxygen and production of peroxides
Peroxides increase the intracellular hydrolase activity
The hydrolases catalyze breakdowns in muscle and produce muscular
dystrophy
The muscle creatine is low and creatinuria occurs
Hepatic Necrosis
Vitamin E and selenium prevents hepatic necrosis
Spinocerebellar ataxia and impaired vision:
Chronic deficiency in children is associated with ataxia, weakness, loss
of touch and position senses, impaired vision and retinopathy
Increased lipid peroxidation in nervous tissue causes neurological lesions

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VITAMIN E

About 8 tocopherols have been identified

Alpha- tocopherol is most active

The tocopherols are derivatives of 6-hydroxy chromane (tocol) ring with

The antioxidant property is due to the chromane ring

There are four main forms of tocopherols

α -tocopherol : 5,7,8 trimethyl tocol

 Dietary vitamin E is incorporated to chylomicrons

It protects the PUFA (Poly unsaturated fatty acids) from

• Vitamin E preserves and maintains germinal epithelium of gonads for proper

• It is required for proper storage of creatine in skeletal muscle

Males -10 mg/day

Rich sources are vegetable oils

In humans, deficiency of vitamin E is seen in

Genetic vitamin E deficiency:It is caused by lack of a protein that

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