Vitamin E Vitamers and Units of Activity

As shown in Eigure 4.1, there are eight vitamers of vitamin E the tocopherols and the tocotrienols differ in that the tocopherols have a saturated side chain, 

Based on biological assay in vitamin E-deficient rats, the vitamers have widely varying biological activity. The original international unit (iu) of vitamin E potency was equated with the activity of 1 mg of (synthetic) dl- -tocopherol acetate on this basis, pure D-a-tocopherol (i i i -a-tocopherol, the most potent vitamer) is 1.49 iu per mg. The precise mixture of stereoisomers in this original standard is unknown, and the different stereoisomers have very different biological activities, so that different preparations may differ considerably. 

It is now usual to express the vitamin E content of foods in terms of milligram-equivalents of (i i i )-a-tocopherol, based on their biological activities. In Table 4.1, the biological activity is shown in iuper milligram and relative to D-a-tocopherol on a molar basis. For the major vitamers present in foods, total a-tocopherol equivalent is calculated as the sum of mg a-tocopherol -I- 

/Canadian Dietary Reference intakes report (Institute of Medicine, 2000) departed from tradition by considering only the contribution of the 2R isomers to vitamin E intake, and proposed an equivalence of 0.45 iu per mg for synthetic all-rac-a-tocopherol, although in consideration of upper tolerable levels of intake (Section 4.6.1), they considered the contribution of aU isomers equally However, although the 2S isomers have a shorter half-life than -tocopherol in the circulation, and hence a lower apparent biological availability, they are active in animal biological assays (Hoppe and Krennrich, 2000). 

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The fat-soluble vitamins comprise vitamins A, D, E, and K, whose biological activities are attributed to a number of structurally related compounds known as vitamers. Also included are those carotenoids that are precursors of vitamin A. Recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) based on human epidemiological and experimental animal studies have been published in the United States for vitamins A, D, E, and K (1). Other countries and international bodies have compiled similar recommendations. In the United States and Canada, fluid milk is supplemented by law with vitamin D to a level of 400 international units per quart (10 /zg/0.95 L) to meet the RDA of 10 p%. Other commodities, such as margarine, milk products, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and dietetic foods, are commonly supplemented with vitamins A, D, and E. Except for infant formulas, vitamin K is not added to foods. The addition of vitamins to a particular processed food is intended to provide a specific proportion of the RDA. 

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