Constituents of Vitamin E Concentrates from Rice-and Wheat-Germ Oils

Abstract

THE pioneer work of Evans and his collaborators on the anti-sterility factor (vitamin E) has culminated in the isolation from the unsaponifiable fraction of wheat-germ¹ and cotton-seed² oils of three apparently isomeric oily alcohols α -, -β and -γtocopherol of approximate formula C₂₉H₅₀O₂, all of which show high vitamin E activity. The use of the unsaponifiable fraction of rice-germ oil as a source of vitamin E was advocated by Kimm³, who later⁴ prepared from a purified concentrate a β-naphthoate, m.p. 156°, which yielded on hydrolysis a product alleged to have very high vitamin E activity.