tocopherol
Quick Summary
Tocopherols are a group of fat-soluble compounds that possess antioxidant properties and are known for their activity as vitamin E. The most common and biologically active form is alpha-tocopherol, which is essential for human nutrition and is often used interchangeably with the term vitamin E. The name "tocopherol" originates from Greek words meaning "to carry childbirth," reflecting its early discovery as a dietary factor crucial for reproduction in rats. Herbert McLean Evans, Gladys Anderson Emerson, and Oliver Huddleston Emerson are credited with its isolation from wheat germ oil in 1936.12
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