Lecture summary

All basic molecules are relatively susceptible to oxygen; hence their membrane protects them allowing them to survive in the presence of oxygen. The essential mechanism by which the tocopherol is essential is that they are like antioxidants and that is also how they degrade. As fatty acids start oxidizing food, they start a chain reaction which is stopped by the tocopherol, but in the process, the tocopherol is consumed. As foods are stored, every chain reaction stops at the cost of a single molecule of Delta-tocopherol. The oxidation mechanism of action and deterioration has an interesting dimension. They are classified as vitamin E compounds, and they have numerous sources the common ones being vegetables, nuts, and oils. Tocopherols are important in human bodies, and they are believed to prevent diseases hence improving human beings’ health.