Supercritical fluid chromatography with post-column addition of supporting electrolyte solution for electrochemical determination of tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers.

A supercritical fluid chromatography with electrochemical detection system was developed for the simultaneous determination of tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers. The supercritical fluid chromatography with electrochemical detection system was connected with an additional pump to create a flow path to add a supporting electrolyte solution. The supporting electrolyte solution was mixed with a mobile phase in a post-column fashion, enabling the independent control of the separation and detection. After optimization of the measurement conditions, vitamin E isomers and an internal standard substance (2,2,5,7,8-pentamethyl-6-hydroxychroman) were separated within 30 min using a mixture of supercritical carbon dioxide and methanol (99:1, v/v) as a mobile phase and a cyanopropyl column (4.6 mm inner diameter × 250 mm length, 5 µm). For the electrochemical detection, methanol containing 1.0 mol/L ammonium acetate was used as a supporting electrolyte solution, and the applied potential was set at +0.8 V. This analytical method showed good linearity (5-100 µg/mL) and repeatability (less than 2.5% relative standard deviation, n = 6) and was applicable to the determination of tocopherol and tocotrienol isomers in nutrition supplements.

Free and Esterified Tocopherols, Tocotrienols and Other Extractable and Non-Extractable Tocochromanol-Related Molecules: Compendium of Knowledge, Future Perspectives and Recommendations for Chromatographic Techniques, Tools, and Approaches Used for Tocochromanol Determination.

Free and esterified (bound) tocopherols, tocotrienols and other tocochromanol-related compounds, often referred to "tocols", are lipophilic antioxidants of great importance for health. For instance, α-tocopherol is the only tocochromanol with vitamin E activity, while tocotrienols have a positive impact on health and are proposed in the prevention and therapy of so-called modern diseases. Tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 are the most well-known tocochromanols; in turn, knowledge about tocodienols, tocomonoenols, and other rare tocochromanol-related compounds is limited due to several challenges in analytical chemistry and/or low concentration in plant material. The presence of free, esterified, and non-extractable tocochromanols in plant material as well as their biological function, which may be of great scientific, agricultural and medicinal importance, is also poorly studied. Due to the lack of modern protocols as well as equipment and tools, for instance, techniques suitable for the efficient and simultaneous chromatographical separation of major and minor tocochromanols, the topic requires attention and new solutions, and/or standardization, and proper terminology. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different chromatographic techniques, tools and approaches used for the separation and detection of different tocochromanols in plant material and foodstuffs. Sources of tocochromanols and procedures for obtaining different tocochromanol analytical standards are also described. Finally, future challenges are discussed and perspective green techniques for tocochromanol determination are proposed along with best practice recommendations. The present manuscript aims to present key aspects and protocols related to tocochromanol determination, correct identification, and the interpretation of obtained results.

Vitamin E in foodstuff: Nutritional, analytical, and food technology aspects.

Vitamin E is a group of isoprenoid chromanols with different biological activities. It comprises eight oil-soluble compounds: four tocopherols, namely, α-, ß-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols; and four tocotrienols, namely, α-, ß-, γ, and δ-tocotrienols. Vitamin E isomers are well-known for their antioxidant activity, gene-regulation effects, and anti-inflammatory and nephroprotective properties. Considering that vitamin E is exclusively synthesized by photosynthetic organisms, animals can only acquire it through their diet. Plant-based food is the primary source of vitamin E; hence, oils, nuts, fruits, and vegetables with high contents of vitamin E are mostly consumed after processing, including industrial processes and home-cooking, which involve vitamin E profile and content alteration during their preparation. Accordingly, it is essential to identify the vitamin E content and profile in foodstuff to match daily intake requirements. This review summarizes recent advances in vitamin E chemistry, metabolism and metabolites, current knowledge on their contents and profiles in raw and processed plant foods, and finally, their modern developments in analytical methods.

Assessing the Impact of Oil Types and Grades on Tocopherol and Tocotrienol Contents in Vegetable Oils with Chemometric Methods.

The consumption of vegetable oil is an important way for the body to obtain tocols. However, the impact of oil types and grades on the tocopherol and tocotrienol contents in vegetable oils is unclear. In this study, nine types of traditional edible oils and ten types of self-produced new types of vegetable oil were used to analyze eight kinds of tocols. The results showed that the oil types exerted a great impact on the tocol content of traditional edible oils. Soybean oils, corn oils, and rapeseed oils all could be well distinguished from sunflower oils. Both sunflower oils and cotton seed oils showed major differences from camellia oils as well as sesame oils. Among them, rice bran oils contained the most abundant types of tocols. New types of oil, especially sacha inchi oil, have provided a new approach to obtaining oils with a high tocol content. Oil refinement leads to the loss of tocols in vegetable oil, and the degree of oil refinement determines the oil grade. However, the oil grade could not imply the final tocol content in oil from market. This study could be beneficial for the oil industry and dietary nutrition.

Biosynthesis and accumulation of multi-vitamins in black sweet corn (Zea mays L.) during kernel development.

BACKGROUND: Black sweet corn as an edible fruit has various nutritional qualities. This study discusses changes in the vitamin C and E, folate, and carotenoid content during black sweet corn maturation, and also the effects of preharvest weather conditions and of related genes in multi-vitamin biosynthesis pathways. RESULTS: Most vitamin levels improved, especially vitamin C and carotenoid levels, while the folate content dropped rapidly. Transcript levels of most genes in folate biosynthesis showed trends that were similar to the content changes. VTC2 and GLDH, which are regulated by light, had high expression levels leading to an increase in ascorbate content during maturation. γ-Tocotrienol is the main vitamin E component, and HGGT, the key gene controlling the synthesis of tocotrienols, had a much higher expression level than other genes. Lutein and zeaxanthin were the dominant carotenoid components. A rapid reduction in the transcription level of LCYε could result in a lower lutein production rate . CONCLUSION: Black sweet corn has a high nutritional value and is rich in vitamins, including zeaxanthin, γ-tocotrienols, and ascorbic acid. The best harvest time is between 20-25 days after pollination (DAPs) when kernels had a good taste as well as relatively high vitamin levels. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

An evaluation of crude palm oil (CPO) and tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) of palm oil as percutaneous permeation enhancers using full-thickness human skin.

The drawbacks associated with chemical skin permeation enhancers such as skin irritation and toxicity necessitated the research to focus on potential permeation enhancers with a perceived lower toxicity. Crude palm oil (CPO) is obtained by direct compression of the mesocarp of the fruit of the oil palm belonging to the genus Elaeis. In this research, CPO and tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) of palm oil were evaluated for the first time as skin permeation enhancers using full-thickness human skin. The in vitro permeation experiments were conducted using excised human skin mounted in static upright 'Franz-type' diffusion cells. The drugs selected to evaluate the enhancing effects of these palm oil derivatives were 5-fluorouracil, lidocaine and ibuprofen: compounds covering a wide range of Log p values. It was demonstrated that CPO and TRF were capable of enhancing the percutaneous permeation of drugs across full-thickness human skin in vitro. Both TRF and CPO were shown to significantly enhance the permeation of ibuprofen with flux values of 30.6 µg/cm2 h and 23.0 µg/cm2 h respectively, compared to the control with a flux of 16.2 µg/cm2 h. The outcome of this research opens further scope for investigation on the transdermal penetration enhancement activity of pure compounds derived from palm oil.

Selected Uncommon Legumes as a Source of Essential Fatty Acids, Tocopherols, Tocotrienols, Sterols, Carotenoids, and Squalene.

The seeds of nine species belonging to the Fabaceae family (Cassia alata, Cassia uniflora, Cassia obtusifolia, Cassia tora, Crotalaria albida, Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria pallida, Indigofera tinctoria, and Tephrosia purpurea) were studied. The oil yield ranged from 2.0 to 9.6% dw, in the seeds of I. tinctoria and T. purpurea, respectively. The unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) were the predominant group of fatty acids (41-74%) in the investigated samples. The sum of tocopherol homologues α and γ constituted 90-100% of total tocochromanols identified in each species. The ß-sitosterol, campesterol, and Δ5-stigmasterol were the main sterols in most of the samples, however, in some of the seeds considerable levels of Δ5-avenasterol, Δ5,24-stigmastadienol, 24-ethylcholest-7-en-3beta-ol, and cycloartenol were also determined. Although the studied seeds were marked by relatively low yield of oil, the predomination of UFA, as well as relevant quantities of tocochromanols, carotenoids, sterols, and squalene (144.3-444.8, 4.1-43.1, 603.2-2590.2, and 0-88.1 mg/100 g oil, respectively), thus, the studied seeds can be considered as an alternative source of valuable ingredients for human nutrition.

Determination of tocopherols and tocotrienols in human breast adipose tissue with the use of high performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection.

Tocopherols and tocotrienols have been extensively studied owing to their anticancer potential, especially against breast cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantitatively determine tocochromanols in human breast adipose tissue with the use of HPLC-FLD. The sample preparation procedure included homogenization and solvent extraction with isopropanol-ethanol-0.1% formic acid mixture prior to solid-phase extraction. After implementation of central composite design, satisfactory separation of all eight target compounds was achieved within 10.5 min. Chromatographic runs were carried out with the use of a naphthylethyl chromatographic column with methanol-water mixture (89:11, v/v) as the mobile phase. Fluorescence detection of tocochromanols was performed with excitation and emission wavelengths 298 and 330 nm, respectively. The method was validated in terms of linearity, carryover, recovery, precision, accuracy and stability. Extraction yield was also determined for accurate evaluation of vitamin E content in human breast adipose tissue samples. Finally, concentrations of particular tocochromanols compounds were assessed in human breast adipose tissue samples obtained from 99 patients, including women with breast cancer, healthy volunteers and deceased women who had died as a result of accidents. The raw data was transformed according to the newly developed equation for accurate estimation of the concentrations of tocochromanols in breast adipose tissue samples. Results obtained in the study indicated that the proposed analytical assay could be useful in breast cancer research.

Current technologies in the extraction, enrichment and analytical detection of tocopherols and tocotrienols: A review.

During the past few years the scientific and medical community has been confronted with a continual interest in vitamin E with the interest prompted by new discoveries. Tocopherols and tocotrienols, commonly known as vitamin E, are extremely invaluable compounds and have various nutritional functionalities and benefits to human health. Great deals of research projects have been launched in order to develop effective methods for the extraction of vitamin E. By and large, three distinct extractive methods are usually employed: supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), molecular distillation, and adsorption methods. These methods are sensitive to different experimental conditions, such as pressure, temperature, and flow rate with noticeable effects on the efficiency of the extraction and enrichment of vitamin E. This review has covered the most commonly adapted extraction methods and has probed into the extraction yields under variable operational parameters.

Monitoring of compositional changes during berry ripening in grape seed extracts of cv. Sangiovese (Vitis vinifera L.).

BACKGROUND: Seed oil and flours have been attracting the interest of researchers and industry, since they contain various bioactive components. We monitored the effects of ripening on lipids, monomeric flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins and tocols concentration in seed extracts from organically cultivated cv. Sangiovese vines. RESULTS: Linoleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid, followed by oleic, palmitic and stearic acids. The tocols detected were α-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol and γ-tocotrienol. The proanthocyanidins degree of polymerisation ranged from dimers to dodecamers; moreover, monomeric flavan-3-ols and polymeric proanthocyanidins were detected. Total flavan-3-ols (monomers, oligomers and polymers) concentration in grape seeds decreased during ripening. CONCLUSIONS: Fatty acids reached the highest level in post-veraison. The concentration of these compounds varied considerably during ripening. Capric acid has been found for the first time in grape seeds. α-Tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol decreased during ripening, while α-tocotrienol increased. The HPLC analysis with fluorimetric detection, conducted for the first time on cv. Sangiovese, revealed that the concentration of flavan-3-ols monomers, oligomeric proanthocyanidins and polymers greatly changed during ripening. These results suggest that the timing of bunch harvest plays a crucial role in the valorisation of grape seed flour. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lipophilic bioactive compounds in the oils recovered from cereal by-products.

BACKGROUND: The by-products of seven different cereal grains were investigated as a source of extractable oil, rich in lipophilic bioactive compounds. RESULTS: Oil yields (g kg(-1) DW) recovered from cereal by-products were as follows: 189 (rice bran) > 112 (wheat germ) > 74 (corn bran) > 58 (oat bran) > 41 (buckwheat bran) > 39 (spelt bran) > 33 (wheat bran) > 27 (rye bran). The main fatty acids identified in the studied oil samples were palmitic acid (11.39-17.23%), oleic acid (11.76-42.73%), linoleic acid (35.54-62.65%) and α-linolenic acid (1.05-9.46%). The range of total tocochromanols and phytosterols in the obtained oils was 0.369-3.763 and 1.19-35.24 g kg(-1) of oil, respectively. The oils recovered from buckwheat and corn bran, and wheat germ were dominated by tocopherols (99.9, 84.2 and 96.5%, respectively), whereas the oat, rice, rye, spelt, wheat bran oils were rich in tocotrienols (73.9, 79.6, 78.1, 90.6 and 73.8%, respectively). The campesterol and ß-sitosterol constituted 10.1-32.5 and 30.4-63.7%, respectively, of total phytosterols contents identified in all of the studied samples. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that oils recovered from the cereal by-products are richer sources of bioactive compounds, compared with traditional oils. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Genome-wide association mapping and biochemical markers reveal that seed ageing and longevity are intricately affected by genetic background and developmental and environmental conditions in barley.

Globally, over 7.4 million accessions of crop seeds are stored in gene banks, and conservation of genotypic variation is pivotal for breeding. We combined genetic and biochemical approaches to obtain a broad overview of factors that influence seed storability and ageing in barley (Hordeum vulgare). Seeds from a germplasm collection of 175 genotypes from four continents grown in field plots with different nutrient supply were subjected to two artificial ageing regimes. Genome-wide association mapping revealed 107 marker trait associations, and hence, genotypic effects on seed ageing. Abiotic and biotic stresses were found to affect seed longevity. To address aspects of abiotic, including oxidative, stress, two major antioxidant groups were analysed. No correlation was found between seed deterioration and the lipid-soluble tocochromanols, nor with oil, starch and protein contents. Conversely, the water-soluble glutathione and related thiols were converted to disulphides, indicating a strong shift towards more oxidizing intracellular conditions, in seeds subjected to long-term dry storage at two temperatures or to two artificial ageing treatments. The data suggest that intracellular pH and (bio)chemical processes leading to seed deterioration were influenced by the type of ageing or storage. Moreover, seed response to ageing or storage treatment appears to be significantly influenced by both maternal environment and genetic background.

Quantification of tocopherols and tocotrienols in soybean oil by supercritical-fluid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.

For the most effective analytical strategies, development and validation include optimization of such analytical variables as resolution, detectability, sensitivity, simplicity, cost effectiveness, flexibility, and speed. However, other aspects concerning operator safety and environmental impact are not considered at the same level. The result has been many unintended negative effects of analytical methods developed to investigate different kinds of sample, especially hydrophobic compounds that generate a large amount of chemical waste and have a strong negative environmental impact. In this context, quantification of tocopherols and tocotrienols, i.e. the vitamin E family, is usually achieved by normal-phase liquid chromatography using large volumes of toxic organic solvents, or reversed-phase liquid chromatography using a high percentage of methanol for elution. We propose here a "greener" analytical strategy, including the hyphenation of supercritical-fluid chromatography, using CO2 and ethanol as mobile phase, NH2 as stationary phase, and mass spectrometry for the detection and quantification of vitamin E congeners in soybean oil. An atmospheric-pressure photoionization (APPI) source seemed significantly more sensitive and robust than electrospray or atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI). This method led to shortened analysis time (less than 5 min) and was revealed to be as sensitive as more traditional approaches, with limits of detection and quantification in the tens of µg L(-1).

Tocopherols and tocotrienols in serum and liver of dairy cows receiving conjugated linoleic acids or a control fat supplement during early lactation.

The fat-soluble vitamin E comprises the 8 structurally related compounds (congeners) α-, ß-, γ-, and δ-tocopherol (with a saturated side chain) and α-, ß-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienol (with a 3-fold unsaturated side chain). Little is known regarding the blood and liver concentrations of the 8 vitamin E congeners during the transition from pregnancy to lactation in dairy cows. We thus quantified tocopherols (T) and tocotrienols (T3) in serum and liver and hepatic expression of genes involved in vitamin E metabolism in pluriparous German Holstein cows during late gestation and early lactation and investigated whether dietary supplementation (from d 1 in milk) with conjugated linoleic acids (CLA; 100g/d; each 12% of trans-10,cis-12 and cis-9,trans-11 CLA; n=11) altered these compared with control-fat supplemented cows (CTR; n=10). Blood samples and liver biopsies were collected on d -21, 1, 21, 70, and 105 (liver only) relative to calving. In both groups, the serum concentrations of αT, γT, ßT3, and δT3 increased from d -21 to d 21 and remained unchanged between d 21 and 70, but were unaffected by CLA. The concentrations of the different congeners of vitamin E in liver did not differ between the CTR and the CLA groups. In both groups, the concentrations of the vitamin E forms in liver changed during the course of the study. The hepatic mRNA abundance of genes controlling vitamin E status did not differ between groups, but α-tocopherol transfer protein and tocopherol-associated protein mRNA increased with time of lactation in both. In conclusion, the concentrations of vitamin E congeners and the expression of genes related to vitamin E status follow characteristic time-related changes during the transition from late gestation to early lactation but are unaffected by CLA supplementation at the dosage used.

Tocopherol and tocotrienol contents of different varieties of rice in Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: The present study examined the contents of tocopherols and tocotrienols and their distribution in 58 different varieties of whole rice cultivated in Malaysia. The analytical method used was saponification of samples followed by dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: The total vitamin E contents of different varieties of whole rice ranged between 19.36 and 63.29 mg kg⁻¹. Contents of vitamin E isomers varied among rice varieties both within and between grain color groups. Black-pigmented rice showed significantly higher mean contents of α-tocopherol, ß-tocopherol and α-tocotrienol than non-pigmented rice and red-pigmented rice. Red-pigmented rice had significantly lower mean contents of γ-tocotrienol and total vitamin E than non-pigmented rice. The mean contents of δ-tocotrienol and total vitamin E in non-pigmented rice, however, were similar to those in black-pigmented rice. γ-Tocotrienol was the predominant form of vitamin E isomer in all analyzed varieties. The Pearson correlations among vitamin E isomers and total vitamin E content of whole rice were also studied. CONCLUSION: This study provides information on vitamin E content of different rice varieties that would be beneficial for decision making in genetic breeding of bioactive compound-rich rice varieties.

Effect of reduced dietary protein and supplementation with a docosahexaenoic acid product on broiler performance and meat quality.

1. Chicken breast meat is a lean meat due to its low content of intramuscular fat (IMF) resulting in an overall lower acceptability by consumers due to a decrease in juiciness, flavour and increased chewiness. Recently, studies performed in pigs suggested the possibility of increasing IMF by decreasing dietary crude protein (CP) content, an effect possibly mediated through an increased lipogenesis. 2. Dietary supplementation with lipids rich in omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) may modulate an increase in the content of these fatty acids in meat from monogastric animals and, thus, promote the daily intake of n-3 LC-PUFA by humans. 3. LC-PUFA are very susceptible to oxidation, resulting in off-flavours that affect meat quality and consumers' acceptability. 4. This trial was conducted to assess the effect of reducing dietary CP, from 21% to 17%, on chicken's meat IMF content and, simultaneously, to evaluate if a complementary supplementation with a proprietary n-3 LC-PUFA source (DHA Gold™) could improve meat quality. These effects were assessed by measuring productive performance and meat quality, oxidative stability, sensory traits and fatty acid profile. 5. A reduction in CP content of broiler diets, from 21% to 17%, balanced for lysine, improved performance while it was not sufficient to increase IMF content in chicken meat. In contrast, DHA Gold™ supplementation had a positive impact both in broiler productive parameters and in meat fatty acid profile. 6. In addition, incorporation of 7.4% of DHA Gold™ in the diet promoted carcass yield but negatively affected chicken meat acceptability by consumers, due to a decrease of meat oxidative stability. 7. Overall the data suggest that neither a dietary supplementation with DHA Gold™ nor a reduction in CP have a direct positive effect in the levels of IMF present in broiler meat.

Tocotrienol monomers and dimers from the roots of Litchi chinensis with tyrosinase inhibition activity.

Four undescribed modified tocotrienols, including two monomers, litchinols A (1) and B (2), and two walsurol dimers, δ,δ-walsurol (3) and γ,δ-bi-O-walsurol (4), as well as seven known compounds (5-11) were isolated from the roots of Litchi chinensis. The structures of the undescribed compounds were elucidated based on analyses of spectroscopic data and ECD spectra. All tocotrienol derivatives (1-6) were evaluated for their tyrosinase inhibition activity. Only monomers 1-2 and 5-6 displayed potent inhibitory activity and greater than kojic acid. Kinetic analysis revealed that the representative compound 2 was uncompetitive inhibitor with the inhibition constant value of 5.70 µM.

A comparative study of bioactive compounds in primitive wheat populations from Italy, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria and Armenia.

BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been a considerable interest in the consumption of ancient wheats, often referred to as having superior health-promoting properties than modern cultivars. The BaSeFood project allowed us to explore the use of primitive wheats in the Black Sea area region and in Italy, with special regard to emmer (Triticum dicoccum) and einkorn (T. monococcum), and to collect seed samples to be grown and compared for their bioactive content, together with some other primitive wheat genotypes (T. timopheevi, T. palaeo-colchicum, T. macha). RESULTS: The data show that genotype was an important factor controlling phytochemical content. Variability ranges were as follows: lipids (18.0-28.5 g kg(-1)), tocols (26.6-72.8 mg kg(-1)), carotenoids (1.6-8.4 mg kg(-1)), sterols (441-929 mg kg(-1)) and phenolic compounds (819-1465 mg kg(-1)) content (dry matter basis). The fraction of individual components, within each class, was also variable; however, the species were well discriminated by their overall composition. CONCLUSIONS: The present research represents a further contribution to the available literature about the analytical composition of primitive wheats, including the complete range of relevant bioactives and lesser investigated species. The data do not support an overall superiority of primitive forms, but evidenced interesting, potentially exploitable, between- and within-species variability.

Aframomum stipulatum (Gagnep) K. Schum and Aframomum giganteum (Oliv. & Hanb) K. Schum as Aroma Tincto Oleo Crops resources: essential oil, fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols, and tocotrienols composition of different fruit parts of Congo varieties.

BACKGROUND: Today, few known plant species provide both an essential oil (EO) and a vegetable oil (VO). Seed and husk of two Aframomum species were investigated and compared in terms of EO, fatty acids, tocopherols, and tocotrienols. RESULTS: EO yield reaches 15.3 g kg(-1) in the seeds and 3.2 g kg(-1) in the husks, while VO yield is 180.0 g kg(-1) in the seeds and 25.0 g kg(-1) in the husks. ß-Pinene, 1,8-cineol, α-selinene, terpine-4-ol, linalool, myrtenal and ß-caryophyllene are the major compounds of seed and husk EO. Fatty acid analysis of two Aframomum species shows that oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids were the major compounds of VO. Total sterol contents reached 4.3 g kg(-1) in seed VO and 8.5 g kg(-1) in husk VO. An appreciable amount of tocopherols (0.52 g kg(-1) ) was found in seed VO. CONCLUSION: The seed and husk oil of A. stipulatum and A. giganteum fruits are rich sources of many bioactive constituents such as fatty acids, sterols, tocopherols and tocotrienols. These tropical wild fruits can be considered as new Aroma Tincto Oleo Crops (ATOC) resources that contain both EOs and VOs.

Free tocopherols and tocotrienols in 82 plant species' oil: Chemotaxonomic relation as demonstrated by PCA and HCA.

The tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) profile were investigated in the present study for four hundred and eighteen plant oil samples, including thirty-one families, eighty-two species, and five cross-species. Fifteen species were dominated by tocotrienols, while sixty-seven - by tocopherols. The mean proportion of γ-T was almost half of the total tocochromanol content (49.3%) in the investigated samples, while α-T constituted to one quarter (25.0%), and the remaining other tocochromanols were present as minor constituents. A strong relationship between the taxonomic plant origin and the presence of the characteristic tocochromanol profile in oils obtained from those plants was noted. This is the first study to demonstrate that not only monocotyledonous, but also dicotyledons families can be rich in tocotrienols. The usefulness of statistical tools - principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) for plant sample discrimination based on their tocochromanol profile was also shown.