A natural fat-soluble antioxidant with potential chemopreventive activity.
Vitamin E ameliorates free-radical damage to biological membranes, protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) within membrane phospholipids and within circulating lipoproteins. Peroxyl radicals react 1,000-fold faster with vitamin E than with PUFA. In the case of oxygen free radical-mediated tumorigenesis, vitamin E may be chemopreventive.