Interaction of tocored with unsaturated fatty esters

Tocored, an oxidation product of tocopherol and its model, 2,2,7,8-tetramethyl-5,6-chromanquinone reacted with methyl linoleate at an elevated temperature to form an adduct with isomerized linoleate. Oxidation of tocored in fatty esters produced a variety of products, depending on the degree of unsaturation of the esters. With methyl palmitate no addition product was detected but tocopurple and tocoreddimer were identified as minor products irrespective of the degree of saturation. A mechanism involving the interaction of tocored with lipid radicals to yield an adduct as the consequence of antioxidative action of tocored is postulated.