Definition
A natural tocopherol and one of the most potent antioxidant tocopherols. It exhibits antioxidant activity by virtue of the phenolic hydrogen on the 2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol nucleus. It has four methyl groups on the 6-chromanol nucleus. The natural d form of alpha-tocopherol is more active than its synthetic dl-alpha-tocopherol racemic mixture. Constit. of many vegetable oils such as soya and sunflower oils. Dietary supplement and nutrient. Nutriceutical with anticancer and antioxidant props. Added to fats and oils to prevent rancidity. The naturally-occurring tocopherol is a single stereoisomer; synthetic forms are a mixt. of all eight possible isomers Alpha-tocopherol is traditionally recognized as the most active form of vitamin E in humans, and is a powerful biological antioxidant.
Description
A generic descriptor for all tocopherols and tocotrienols that exhibit alpha-tocopherol activity. By virtue of the phenolic hydrogen on the 2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol nucleus, these compounds exhibit varying degree of antioxidant activity, depending on the site and number of methyl groups and the type of isoprenoids.
Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol) is Found in These Foods
Top Gene Interactions
Related Pathways
Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol) Health Effects
- 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic-acid inhibitor
- Allergenic
- Analgesic
- Anti aging
- Anti Alzheimeran
- Anti anginal
- Anti arteriosclerotic
- Anti arthritic
- Anti asthmatic
- Anti atherosclerotic
- Anti bronchitic
- Anti cancer
- Anti cariogenic
- Anti cataract
- Anti chorea
- Anti choreic
- Anti convulsant
- Anti coronary
- Anti decubitic
- Anti dementia
- Anti dermatitic
- Anti diabetic
- Anti dysmenorrheic
- Anti epitheleomic
- Anti fibrositic
- Anti glycosation
- Anti herpetic
- Anti infarctal
- Anti infertility
- Anti inflammatory
- Anti ischemic
- Anti leukemic
- Anti leukotriene
- Anti lithic
- Anti lupus
- Anti maculitic
- Anti mastalgic
- Anti MD
- Anti melanomic
- Anti monosodium-glutamate
- Anti neuritic
- Anti neuropathic
- Anti nitrosaminic
- Anti ophthalmic
- Anti osteoarthritic
- Antioxidant
- Anti Parkinsonian
- Anti premenstrual syndrome
- Anti proliferant
- Anti radicular
- Anti retinopathic
- Anti rheumatic
- Anti senility
- Anti sickling
- Anti spasmodic
- Anti sterility
- Anti stroke
- Anti sunburn
- Anti syndrome-X
- Anti thalassemic
- Anti thrombotic
- Anti thromboxane-B2
- Anti toxemic
- Antitumor
- Anti ulcerogenic
- Calcium antagonist
- Cancer preventive
- Cardioprotective
- Cerebroprotective
- Circulatory stimulant
- Circulotonic
- Hepatoprotective
- Hypocholesterolemic
- Hypoglycemic
- Immunomodulator
- Immunostimulant
- Insulin-sparing
- Lipoxygenase inhibitor
- Nitric-oxide inhibitor
- Ornithine-decarboxylase inhibitor
- Cytochrome-P21 inducer
- Phospholipase-A2 inhibitor
- Protein kinase C inhibitor
- Vasodilator
- Anti aggregant
- Anti mutagenic
- Anti myoclonic
- Anti retinotic
- Antitumor promoter
- Apoptotic
General Information
- Metabolism:
Hepatic.
- Uses/Sources:
Vitamin E, known for its antioxidant activities, is protective against cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer and has also demonstrated immune-enhancing effects. It may be of limited benefit in some with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. It may be helpful in some neurological diseases including Alzheimer's, some eye disorders including cataracts, and diabetes and premenstrual syndrome. It may also help protect skin from ultraviolet irradiation although claims that it reverses skin aging, enhances male fertility and exercise performance are poorly supported. It may help relieve some muscle cramps.
- Route of Exposure:
Oral, Topical, Intramuscular 50 to 80% absorbed from gastrointestinal tract.
Mechanism of Action
| Target Name | Mechanism of Action | References |
|---|---|---|
|
Protein kinase C alpha type Protein kinase C beta type SEC14-like protein 4 SEC14-like protein 3 SEC14-like protein 2 Nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group I member 2 Arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase Diacylglycerol kinase alpha Serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit beta isoform Serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A catalytic subunit alpha isoform Alpha-tocopherol transfer protein |
Although all forms of Vitamin E exhibit antioxidant activity, it is known that the antioxidant activity of vitamin E is not sufficient to explain the vitamin's biological activity. Vitamin E's anti-atherogenic activity involves the inhibition of the oxidation of LDL and the accumulation of oxLDL in the arterial wall. It also appears to reduce oxLDL-induced apoptosis in human endothelial cells. Oxidation of LDL is a key early step in atherogenesis as it triggers a number of events which lead to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. In addition, vitamin E inhibits protein kinase C (PKC) activity. PKC plays a role in smooth muscle cell proliferation, and, thus, the inhibition of PKC results in inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation, which is involved in atherogenesis. Vitamin E's antithrombotic and anticoagulant activities involves the downregulation of the expression of intracellular cell adhesion molecule(ICAM)-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule(VCAM)-1 which lowers the adhesion of blood components to the endothelium. In addition, vitamin E upregulates the expression of cytosolic phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 which in turn enhances the release of prostacyclin. Prostacyclin is a vasodilating factor and inhibitor of platelet aggregation and platelet release. It is also known that platelet aggregation is mediated by a mechanism involving the binding of fibrinogen to the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GPIIb/IIIa) complex of platelets. GPIIb/IIIa is the major membrane receptor protein that is key to the role of the platelet aggregation response. GPIIb is the alpha-subunit of this platelet membrane protein. Alpha-tocopherol downregulates GPIIb promoter activity which results in reduction of GPIIb protein expression and decreased platelet aggregation. Vitamin E has also been found in culture to decrease plasma production of thrombin, a protein which binds to platelets and induces aggregation. A metabolite of vitamin E called vitamin E quinone or alpha-tocopheryl quinone (TQ) is a potent anticoagulant. This metabolite inhibits vitamin K-dependent carboxylase, which is a major enzyme in the coagulation cascade. The neuroprotective effects of vitamin E are explained by its antioxidant effects. Many disorders of the nervous system are caused by oxidative stress. Vitamin E protects against this stress, thereby protecting the nervouse system. The immunomodulatory effects of Vitamin E have been demonstrated in vitro, where alpha-tocopherol increases mitogenic response of T lymphocytes from aged mice. The mechanism of this response by vitamin E is not well understood, however it has been suggested that vitamin E itself may have mitogenic activity independent of its antioxidant activity. Lastly, the mechanism of action of vitamin E's antiviral effects (primarily against HIV-1) involves its antioxidant activity. Vitamin E reduces oxidative stress, which is thought to contribute to HIV-1 pathogenesis, as well as to the pathogenesis of other viral infections. Vitamin E also affects membrane integrity and fluidity and, since HIV-1 is a membraned virus, altering membrane fluidity of HIV-1 may interfere with its ability to bind to cell-receptor sites, thus decreasing its infectivity. |
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Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol) Interacts with Diseases
| Disease | Inference Score | References/Inference Genes |
| Reperfusion Injury | 105.93 |
|
| Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental | 96.26 |
|
| Breast carcinoma | 93.9 |
|
| Prostatic Neoplasms | 92.5 |
|
| Liver Cirrhosis, Experimental | 75.26 |
|
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | 71.8 |
|
| Brain Ischemia | 67.57 |
|
| Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 | 63.87 |
|
| Atherosclerosis | 62.79 |
|
| Lung Neoplasms | 60.8 |
|
| Stomach Neoplasms | 58.85 |
|
| Hypertension | 56.0 |
|
| Adenocarcinoma | 55.89 |
|
| Myocardial Ischemia | 48.02 |
|
| Colonic neoplasm | 47.81 |
|
| Myocardial infarction | 45.56 |
|
| Obesity | 44.25 |
|
| Squamous cell carcinoma | 42.91 |
|
| Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung | 41.78 |
|
| Cell Transformation, Neoplastic | 41.27 |
|