Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)
tocopherol
Sign in to saveAlso known as tocopherols
Tocopherols (; TCP) are a class of organic compounds comprising various methylated phenols, many of which have vitamin E activity. Because the vitamin activity was first identified in 1936 from a dietary fertility factor in rats, it was named tocopherol, from Greek and , that is 'to carry a pregnancy', with the ending -ol signifying its status as a chemical alcohol.
Chemical data
- Formula
- C28H48O2
- Molecular weight
- 416.7 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 2,7,8-trimethyl-2-(4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-3,4-dihydrochromen-6-ol
- SMILES
- CC1=C(C=C2CCC(OC2=C1C)(C)CCCC(C)CCCC(C)CCCC(C)C)O
- InChIKey
- QUEDXNHFTDJVIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- XLogP
- 10.3
- Polar surface area
- 29.5 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 1
- H-bond acceptors
- 2
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
Research
27,751 papers- α-Tocopherol in chloroplasts: Nothing more than an antioxidant?Current opinion in plant biology · 2023
- Survey of tocopherol and the associated genetic loci in wheat grain.TAG. Theoretical and applied genetics. Theoretische und angewandte Genetik · 2025
- Tocopherol (vitamin E) in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.CNS drugs · 2004
- Unveiling the antioxidant superiority of α-tocopherol: Implications for vitamin E nomenclature and classification.Free radical biology & medicine · 2024
- Therapeutic Potential of Tocopherol and Tocotrienol in Glaucoma Management.Drug design, development and therapy · 2025
via PubMed
~30 min read
Article
31 sectionsContents
- Forms
- α-Tocopherol
- Tocotrienols
- Function and dietary recommendations
- Mechanism of action
- Dietary considerations
- α-Tocopherol equivalents
- Sources
- Deficiency
- Commercial versions
- Synthetic all-racemic and d-α-tocopherol
- Mixed tocopherols
- Esters
- Uses
- Supplement popularity over time
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Complementary and alternative medicine
- Antioxidant theory
- Alzheimer's disease
- Cancer
- Cataracts
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Pregnancy
- Topical
- Side effects
- Drug interactions
- Synthesis
- History
- See also
- References
- External links
Tocopherols (; TCP) are a class of organic compounds comprising various methylated phenols, many of which have vitamin E activity. Because the vitamin activity was first identified in 1936 from a dietary fertility factor in rats, it was named tocopherol, from Greek and , that is 'to carry a pregnancy', with the ending -ol signifying its status as a chemical alcohol.
α-Tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, where the main dietary sources are olive and sunflower oils, while γ-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet due to a higher intake of soybean and corn oil.