THE CHEMISTRY OF VITAMIN E. XIII. SPECIFICITY AND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHEMICAL STRUCTURE AND VITAMIN E ACTIVITY^{1, *}

Vitamin E hydroquinone is an endogenous regulator of ferroptosis via redox control of 15-lipoxygenase

“…In 1939, Evans and Bishop noted that both vitamin E ( αT ) and vitamin E quinone ( αTQ ) possessed protective activity in fetal resorption studies[ 46 , 47 ]. For reasons that were not articulated in their initial work, vitamin E ( αT chroman) was defined as the essential nutritional factor, not the vitamin E quinone.…”

The Chemistry of Vitamin E.

“…Contrary to the usual experience in this field, vitamin E activity is shown by a great number of compounds widely different in nature, and only slightly related in structure to the tocopherols. Over one hundred and thirty individual compounds have been assayed biologically, and a complete list of these has recently been published (37). The list of substances examined includes chromans chromenes, coumarans, coumarins, coumarones, phenols, quiñones, hydroquinones, and their esters and ethers.…”

Diseases of Nutrition

“…210 Evans 204 raised the following questions, which must be answered before the physiologic role of vitamin E can be understood : 1. Results of experimental work attempting to relate deficiency of vitamin E to dysfunction of the pituitary body are at variance and permit no conclusions.…”

“…More and more evidence has accumulated to indicate that vitamins form an integral part of the enzyme system of the body and that clinical deficiencies of vitamins are usually multiple rather than singular. Baxter, J. G., and Robeson, C. D.: Crystalline Vitamin A Palmitate and Vitamin A Alcohol, Science 92: [203][204] (Aug. 30) 1940. absorption of fat.3 Absorption of vitamin A by the tissues appears to be exceptionally rapid when it is administered intravenously. These general advances have been supplemented by numerous experimental and chemical contributions to knowledge of each separate vitamin, but space allows detailed discussion only of those of the greatest clinical significance.…”