Tocopherol

Tocopherol is also know as Vitamin E. The name Vitamin E refers to a family of eight molecules having a chromanol ring and a 12-carbon aliphatic side chain. Vitamin E is a generic term used for specific compounds with two different types of structures that distinguish tocopherol from tocotrienol. The tocopherol and tocotrienol structures are similar except for the tocotrienol structure has double bonds on the isoprenoid units.

Properties
Tocopherol exists as a mixture of 4 homologues, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta - available as a mixed product known as mixed tocopherol. Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. supplies tocopherol products and specialties according to requirements by separating or combining the homologues using unique technology. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant. It protects your cells from oxidation and neutralizes unstable free radicals which can cause damage. This is done by the vitamin E giving up one of its electrons to the electron deficient free radical, making it more stable. While Tocopherol performs its antioxidant functions, it also protects the other antioxidants from being oxidized.

Occurrences
It was shown that tocopherol in addition to tocopherol naturally occurs in milk fat. Tocopherol fractionated from milk fat was identified by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography, ultraviolet and infrared absorption spectra. This component was found in all samples of mixed milk.

Uses
You can find a good amount of Vitamin E in any of the foods that have wheat. The foods may vary in their content of Vitamin E because of the processing involved. The best source of wheat is wheat germ oil. Other good places to find Vitamin E is in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.Sources of vitamin E from diet Vitamin E is needed for immune system functioning, healthy eyes, and cell protection throughout the body. It is also known to prevent a lot of diseases. There are some therapeutic ways to use vitamin E and they are Cancer prevention and treatment, Immune system protection, Eye disease prevention, Memory loss prevention, and so much more. 

History
A man named Herbert McLean Evans concluded one day, while doing feeding experiments with rats, that there was another unknown vitamin. The rats that he had been feeding were not fertile even though all the other nutrition they needed was present. when he started feeding them wheat germ their condition changed. It took him a while to then isolate the substance.