Vitamin E activity in foods and feedstuffs is derived from a series of compounds of plant origin, the tocopherols and tocotrienols.
Vitamin E has been shown to be essential for integrity and optimum function of reproductive, muscular, circulatory, nervous, and immune systems. Vitamin E has several different but related functions. One of the most important functions is its role as an intercellular and intracellular antioxidant. Considerable evidence indicates there may be undiscovered metabolic roles for vitamin E, which may be paralleled biologically by roles of selenium and possible other substances.
Vitamin E is widespread in nature, with the richest sources being vegetable oils, cereal products containing these oils, eggs, liver, legumes and, in general, green plants. In nature, the synthesis of vitamin E is a function of plants and thus their products are by far the principal sources.
