This synthetic product is very similar in structure to tocopherol (vitamin E) and tocotrienol but is not found naturally and is therefore an ideal MS, HPLC, and GC internal standard for tocopherols and tocotrienols.1 In experimental procedures it has been found that the functionality of tocol is different from tocopherols and tocotrienols. Whereas natural alpha-tocopherol is effective in suppressing erythrocyte hemolysis tocol has very little effect on hemolysis.2 Tocol has also been found to be ineffective in increasing the microviscosity of rat liver PC liposomes while alpha-tocopherol showed good effectiveness. Whereas most tocopherol substrates (including rac-5,7-dimethyltocol) are converted in vitro into -tocopherol tocol is not, making it a stable synthetic compound in living systems.3
