Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, naturally present in small amounts in vegetable oils. It consists of eight tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers, namely, α-, β-, γ-, δ-tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and plays an important role in the stabilization of oils and fats. Vitamin E components in palm oil especially γ- and δ-tocotrienols have excellent antioxidants which are important for the protection of unsaturated lipid peroxidation particularly in biomembranes and confer protective effects on some diseases. In addition, vitamin E has anti-cancer properties. Palm oil contains an average of about 800 ppm vitamin E, ranging between 600 ppm and 1000 ppm (Choo et al., 1995). The major forms of tocopherols and tocotrienols in palm oil are α-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienols.

Main Research: Dr. Ahmad Kushairi Din