Bromination of α-tocopherol methano-dimer and ethano-dimer

Bromination of the ethano-dimer of α-tocopherol (6) afforded pyrano-spirodimer of α-tocopherol (7) quantitatively, while the methano-dimer of α-tocopherol (10) produced a mixture of products, including the furano-spirodimer 11, pyrano-spirodimer 7, and 5-bromo-γ-tocopherol (12), the latter two formed in an unusual dealkylative fragmentation step. The mechanisms were studied by a combination of trapping reactions as well as kinetic and computational studies.     

Synthesis and antioxidant properties of novel α-tocopherol glycoconjugates

Glycoconjugates of α-tocopherol (1), synthesized using click chemistry between α-tocopherol-azide and glyco-alkynes are solids, have enhanced water solubility and exhibit radical-scavenging activities comparable to 1, as determined by DPPH and lipid peroxidation assay methods.     

Application of ACC method to synchronous luminiscence: determination of α-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate in beverages

A new method based on the Q parameter, that permits the determination of the C_{compound A} /C_{compound B} ratio without preparing calibration graphs of the two compounds, is proposed. This method has been applied to signals obtained by synchronous luminiscence. Simultaneous determination of α-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate in beverages using synchronous fluorescence has been carried out. To isolate the compounds from samples, liquid extraction with n-hexane as the organic phase was employed. The presence of interferences was tested using the apparent content curves (ACC) method and the C_{α-tocopherol}/¶C_{α-tocopheryl acetate} ratio was calculated using the Q parameter. The reproducibility and detection limit for the determination of α-tocopherol and α-tocopheryl acetate were 6.6% and 0.016 mg/L and 1.8% and 0.017 mg/L, respectively.     

Comparison of the photochemical behaviors of α-tocopherol and its acetate in organic and aqueous micellar solutions

Photoionization is known to take place when α-tocopherol (TOH) is excited to the S(1) state in a polar medium. It has been previously suggested that TO(?) is formed only as a result of proton release by TOH(?+), a process that is expected to occur, in a protic solvent, on the subnanosecond time scale. Recent redeterminations of the molar absorption coefficients of e(aq)(–) (Hare J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114, 1766) and of TOH(?+) and TO(?) (Naqvi J. Phys. Chem. A 2010, 114, 10795) have paved the way for testing the above suggestion, even if subnanosecond time resolution is not available, since it implies the equality of [e(aq)(–)](0) and [TO(?)](0), where [···](0) denotes the concentration of the enclosed species immediately after a nanosecond laser pulse. Nanosecond pump-probe spectroscopy of TOH in aqueous micellar solution (AMS) and two organic solvents with similar polarities (acetonitrile and methanol) has revealed that prompt formation of TO(?) through dissociation (TOH + hν → TO(?) + H(?)) is not negligible even in AMS. In acetonitrile, TOH(?+) and TO(?) are formed with comparable yields, and the former converts quantitatively into TO(?) within 15 μs. In methanol, TO(?) was observed, but no evidence was found for electron ejection from TOH. Only one photoproduct, namely TO(?), could be detected when α-tocopherol acetate (TOAc) was excited to the S(1) state in several polar and nonpolar solvents; TOAc has been found to be a more efficient energy degrader than TOH.     

Determination of α-tocopherol in Cosmetic Products by Chronopotentiometry

Abstract

In the present study, a rapid chronopotentiometric method was developed for the determination of α-tocopherol in various cosmetic products. Determination of α-tocopherol is based on its irreverse oxidation by constant current at the planar glassy carbon electrode. The influence of the most important experimental parameters of chronopotentiometry was investigated. After optimization, an appropriate procedure for the sample preparation was developed. Under the defined experimental conditions, a detection limit of 7.5 mg L^?1 of α-tocopherol was obtained. The accuracy of the defined method was confirmed by means of recovery assay. The developed method was successfully applied to quantitation of α-tocopherol in various cosmetic products.     

Isotherm of α-tocopherol adsorption on acid-activated clinoptilolite tuff

Adsorption of α-tocopherol from ethanol solution on clinoptilolite tuff activated with 4.0 M HCl is studied. α-Tocopherol adsorption isotherm is analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson adsorption theories. The adsorption of α-tocopherol from dilute solutions on this sorbent is ascertained to be described by the Langmuir model.     

Chain termination in the oxidation of lipid models by α-tocopherol and its synthetic analog

The rate constants (k₁) and stoichiometric coefficients (f) of chain termination in the oxidation of lipid models (methyl esters of acids in the oleic series) by -tocopherol and its synthetic analog at 50°C were measured. The values of k₁ and f do not depend on the structure of the substituent R in the peroxide radical ROO of the lipid models undergoing oxidation, but the values of k₁ are determined by the conformation of the investigated phenols.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 441–444, September–October, 1993.     

Solid phase extraction with electrospun nanofibers for determination of retinol and α-tocopherol in plasma

A novel packed-fiber solid phase extraction procedure based on electrospun nanofibers for simultaneous determination of vitamins A (retinol) and E (α-tocopherol) in human plasma has been developed. Parameters affecting extraction efficiency were investigated in detail. The limit of detection is 0.01 μg mL^?1 for retinol, and 0.3 μg mL^?1 for α-tocopherol. The linear range is from 0.05 to 2.0 μg mL^?1 for retinol, and from 0.5 to 30 μg mL^?1 for α-tocopherol. The precision (RSD) is <6%, and the relative recovery >90%. The method was applied to analysis of retinol and α-tocopherol in human plasma with satisfactory results.     

Reactions of N,N′-diphenyl-p-quinonediimine with hydroquinone, α-tocopherol,and other antioxidants

Phenols (hydroquinone and -tocopherol) and heterocyclic aminophenols (2,2,4-trimethyl-6-ethoxy-1,2-dihyroquinoline) reduce N,N-diphenyl-p-quinonediimine (A) to the diamine. With difunctional hydrogen atom donors, the reaction rate is proportional to the concentrations of the reactants. The effective rate constants have been determined over a range of temperatures. In the reaction of A with -tocopherol, plots of rate versus initial concentrations are nonlinear, 2,6-Di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol and 2,2,4-trimethyl-6-ethoxy-1,2-dihyroquinoline do not react with A under the same conditions.N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117977 Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 417–420, February, 1992.     

Synthesis of triterpene acids conjugates with α-tocopherol synthetic analogs

Heterodimers were synthesized of pharmacologically important α-tocopherol synthetic analogs with triterpene acids(betulonic, betulinic), potential polyfunctionsl drugs possessing antioxidant activity. The combination of the fragments of biologically active substances was performed through linkers (residues of succinic acid, hydrazine, glycine, tetramethylenediamine) binding the side chain of the antioxidant molecule with atoms C³ or C²⁸ of the terpenoid.     

Encapsulation of α-tocopherol and β-carotene in concentrated oil-in-water beverage emulsions stabilized with whey protein isolate

The stabilization of flavor emulsions is a challenge for the industry of functional beverages. In this work, whey protein isolate was used as the stabilizing agent in concentrated orange oil-in-water emulsions. A 2³ factorial design was performed, varying the ratio of orange oil/water (30–60%), the concentration of whey protein (1–15%), and the concentration of the surfactant dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium (0–100 mg L^?1). Analyses of surface tension, film formation, zeta potential, particle size, and turbidity were performed. Stable emulsions containing 60% of oil phase were prepared. β-Carotene and α-tocopherol were successfully encapsulated, without affecting the emulsion's stability.     

How lipid unsaturation, peroxyl radical partitioning, and chromanol lipophilic tail affect the antioxidant activity of α-tocopherol: direct visualization via high-throughput fluorescence studies conducted with fluorogenic α-tocopherol analogues

The preparation of two highly sensitive fluorogenic α-tocopherol (TOH) analogues which undergo >30-fold fluorescence intensity enhancement upon reaction with peroxyl radicals is reported. The probes consist of a chromanol moiety coupled to the meso position of a BODIPY fluorophore, where the use of a methylene linker (BODIPY-2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-hydroxy-chroman adduct, H(2)B-PMHC) vs an ester linker (meso-methanoyl BODIPY-6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchromane-2-carboxylic acid, H(2)B-TOH) enables tuning their reactivity toward H-atom abstraction by peroxyl radicals. The development of a high-throughput fluorescence assay for monitoring kinetics of peroxyl radical reactions in liposomes is subsequently described where the evolution of the fluorescence intensity over time provides a rapid, facile method to conduct competitive kinetic studies in the presence of TOH and its analogues. A quantitative treatment is formulated for the temporal evolution of the intensity in terms of relative rate constants of H-atom abstraction (k(inh)) from the various tocopherol analogues. Combined, the new probes, the fluorescence assay, and the data analysis provide a new method to obtain, in a rapid, parallel format, relative antioxidant activities in phospholipid membranes. The method is exemplified with four chromanol-based antioxidant compounds differing in their aliphatic tails (TOH, PMHC, H(2)B-PMHC, and H(2)B-TOH). Studies were conducted in six different liposome solutions prepared from poly- and mono-unsaturated and saturated (fluid vs gel phase) lipids in the presence of either hydrophilic or lipophilic peroxyl radicals. A number of key insights into the chemistry of the TOH antioxidants in lipid membranes are provided: (1) The relative antioxidant activities of chromanols in homogeneous solution, arising from their inherent chemical reactivity, readily translate to the microheterogeneous environment at the water/lipid interface; thus similar values for k(inh)(H(2)B-PMHC)/k(inh)(H(2)B-TOH) in the range of 2-3 are recorded both in homogeneous solution and in liposome suspensions with hydrophilic or lipophilic peroxyl radicals. (2) The relative antioxidant activity between tocopherol analogues with the same inherent chemical reactivity but bearing short (PMHC) or long (TOH) aliphatic tails, k(inh)(PMHC)/k(inh)(TOH), is ~8 in the presence of hydrophilic peroxyl radicals, regardless of the nature of the lipid membrane into which they are embedded. (3) Antioxidants embedded in saturated lipids do not efficiently scavenge hydrophilic peroxyl radicals; under these conditions wastage reactions among peroxyl radicals become important, and this translates into larger times for antioxidant consumption. (4) Lipophilic peroxyl radicals show reduced discrimination between antioxidants bearing long and short aliphatic tails, with k(inh)(PMHC)/k(inh)(TOH) in the range of 3-4 for most lipid membranes. (5) Lipophilic peroxyl radicals are scavenged with the same efficiency by all four antioxidants studied, regardless of the nature of their aliphatic tail or the lipid membrane into which they are embedded. These data underpin the key role the lipid environment plays in modulating the rate of reaction of antioxidants characterized by similar inherent chemical reactivity (arising from a conserved chromanol moiety) but differing in their membrane mobility (structural differences in the lipophilic tail). Altogether, a novel, facile method of study, new insights, and a quantitative understanding on the critical role of lipid diversity in modulating antioxidant activity in the lipid milieu are reported.     

Reduction of irradiation off-odor and lipid oxidation in ground beef by α-tocopherol addition and the use of a charcoal pack

A combination of a charcoal pack during irradiation and α-tocopherol addition into ground beef was applied to eliminate an irradiation characteristic off-odor and to retard the lipid oxidation caused by the irradiation process. Ground beef was mixed with 200 ppm α-tocopherol and gamma irradiated with 0, 5, and 10 kGy with or without a charcoal pack present during the irradiation treatment. The pH of the control group was lower than that of α-tocopherol and charcoal pack treatment initially but increased rapidly and showed higher pH at day 7. Addition of α-tocopherol with or without charcoal pack addition showed lower 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values in irradiated ground beef at days 3 and 7 compared to those without addition. The color of ground beef was not significantly affected by the treatment. However, odor preference result showed that 10 kGy-irradiated ground beef with a combination of charcoal pack and α-tocopherol addition had higher scores than the control group regardless of irradiation. Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) gas chromatograph/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis identified various volatile compounds that were created by irradiation of ground beef. These compounds were reduced or eliminated when a charcoal pack was used during the irradiation process. The results of the present study imply that combination of packaging with a charcoal pack during the irradiation process and addition of α-tocopherol into ground beef is a good method to effectively eliminate an irradiation off-odor and retard the lipid oxidation development in ground beef caused by irradiation.     

Preparation and characterization of zein/chitosan complex for encapsulation of α-tocopherol, and its in vitro controlled release study

Chitosan (CS) nanoparticles coated with zein has been newly demonstrated as a promising encapsulation and delivery system for hydrophilic nutrient with enhanced bioactivities in our previous study. In this study, a hydrophobic nutrient, α-tocopherol (TOC), was successfully encapsulated into zein/CS complex. The fabrication parameters, including zein concentration, zein/CS weight ratio, and TOC loading percentage, were systematically investigated. The physicochemical and structural analysis showed that the electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds were major forces responsible for complex formation. The scanning electron microscopy study revealed the spherical nature with smooth surface of complex. TOC encapsulation was also evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry. The particle size and zeta potential of the complex varied from 200 to 800 nm and +22.8 to +40.9 mV, respectively. The kinetic release profile of the TOC showed burst effect followed by slow release. Compared with zein nanoparticles, zein/CS complex provided better protection of TOC release against gastrointestinal conditions, due to CS coatings. Zein/CS complex is believed to be a promising delivery system for supplementation or treatment of hydrophobic nutrients or drugs.     

Development and validation of HPLC method for the determination of α-tocopherol in human erythrocytes for clinical applications

In this work, a simple isocratic reversed-phase HPLC method for determination of alpha-tocopherol in human erythrocytes has been developed and validated. After separation of plasma the erythrocytes were washed three times with 0.9% sodium chloride containing 0.01% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) as antioxidant and then were diluted 1:1 (v/v) with the same solution. In the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) procedure, 2500 microL of n-hexane was added to 500 microL of erythrocytes. After 2 min this mixture was deproteinized by addition of cool ethanol (500 microL, 5 min) denatured with 5% methanol containing alpha-tocopherol acetate (20 micromol L(-1)), as internal standard, and then extracted for 5 min by vortex mixing. After centrifugation (10 min, 1600xg) an aliquot (2000 microL) of the clean extract was separated and evaporated under nitrogen. The residue was dissolved in 400 microL methanol and analysed by reversed-phase HPLC on a 4.6 mmx150 mm, 5 microm Pecosphere C18 column; the mobile phase was 100% methanol, flow rate 1.2 mL min(-1). The volume injected was 100 microL and detection was by diode-array detector at a wavelength of 295 nm. The extraction recovery of alpha-tocopherol from human erythrocytes was 100.0+/-2.0%. The detection limit was 0.1 micromol L(-1) and a linear calibration plot was obtained in the concentration range 0.5-20.0 micromol L(-1). Within determination precision was 5.2% RSD (n=10), between determination precision was 6.1% RSD (n=10). The method was applied successfully in a clinical study of patients with acute pancreatitis and for determination of the reference values in the healthy Czech population.     

Effects of α-tocopherol and its acetate on the hydrolytic activity of phospholipase D in egg yolk phosphatidylcholine bilayers

Effects of -tocopherol (Toc) and -tocopherol acetate (TocA) on the hydrolysis activity of phospholipase D (fromStreptomyces chromofuscus) were studied in small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (PC). Choline produced in the reaction was monitored by use of a choline oxidase — oxygen electrode. Addition of 18 mol% Toc into SUV (2 mM PC) brought about a twofold rate of choline production. On the other hand, the effect of 18 mol% TocA in SUV was very small. The apparent maximum velocity,V _max(app), increased by addition of Toc in SUV. The apparent Michaelis constant,K _m(app), was unchanged by addition of Toc and TocA in SUV. The Toc and TocA molecules did not have significant effects when PC was solubilized in the micelles of heptaethylene glycol dodecyl ether. The effects of Toc and TocA are, therefore, not due to specific ones on the enzyme itself, but rather upon the bilayer-organization of the substrate. Measurements of spreading pressure showed complete miscibility of PC and Toc, and limited mutual solubility of PC and TocA, suggesting stronger attractive interactions between Toc and PC than those between TocA and PC in the bilayers.     

Synthesis of new α-hydroxyphosphonates and α-acetoxyphosphonates

A series of new α-hydroxyphosphonate (5–14) have been synthesized in high yields by reaction of β-chloro-α,β-unsaturated aldehydes (1–4) and trialkyl phosphite in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane at room temperature under solvent-free conditions. In addition, compounds (5–14) were reacted with acetic anhydride in DBU to give the new α-acetoxyphosphonate derivatives (15–23). All these phosphonates (5–23) were obtained as mixtures of two (E and Z) isomers and fully characterized by multinuclear (¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P) NMR, IR spectroscopy and HRMS.     

Organocatalytic synthesis of α-hydroxy and α-aminophosphonates

A new and highly flexible procedure is described for the synthesis of α-amino- and α-hydroxy phosphonates. In the presence of a catalytic amount of oxalic acid (10 mol %), trimethyl phosphite reacts with aldehydes or imines (generated in situ from an aldehyde and an amine) to yield the corresponding coupled products in good yield.