Tocopherols in Growing Plants

Using the two-dimensional method of analysis by paper chromatography, Green (1958) studied the changes in the various tocopherols in maize, wheat, barley, and peas from seed to harvest. He noted that whereas a-toco-pherol is synthesized predominantly in the young growing plants, the other forms are predominant in the seeds. On the basis of plant lipids, the total 

The workers mentioned above repeated the observation of Chattopad-hyay and Bancrjee (1952) that the total tocopherol content of plants increases following germination. Though seeds of legumes and cereals contained approximately the same amounts of tocopherol, the increase was more rapid in the legumes. 

The tocopherol content of leafy plants generally decreases as the plants 

In view of current interest in polyunsaturated fats, it is appropriate to point out that a variety of safflower has been identified which produces an oil containing only 11-19% linoleic acid instead of the usual 65-80% (Horowitz and Winter, 1957). The oil from this South Australian variety of. safflower should be studied for its tocopherol content. 

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