Metabolic products of α-tocopherol in the livers of rats given intraperitoneal injections of [14C]-α-tocopherol

Rats fed a vitamin E-deficient diet for 1–5 months were given intraperitoneal injections of 1 mg [¹⁴C]-α-tocopherol. After 48 h thye were killed and their lives removed and analyzed by thin-layer and column chromatography for α-tocopherol and metabolic products. Of the recovered radioactivity, about 80% was in the form of uncahnged α-tocopherol and 11% was present as a more polar compound, probably α-tocopherylquinone. No definitive evidence was obtained for the presence of a dimer. Control experiments showed that chromatography of α-tocopherol on thin-layer plates, with aqueous acetonitrile, gave rise to considerable amounts of polar material.