Tocopherols

Fat-soluble members of the vitamin E family with antioxidant activity — chemically, terpenoid compounds. Four isomers carry vitamin E activity: alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol, with alpha-tocopherol the most important nutritionally. They occur in wheat germ oil, butter, egg yolks, and leafy vegetables, where they protect cell membranes by neutralizing oxygen free radicals generated by disease processes and toxic substances. As food additives (E306–E309), tocopherols guard oils and fatty foods against rancidity — valued as ‘natural’ antioxidants for clean-label preservation.