Tocopherols are a class of chemical substances known collectively as vitamin E.
They are fat-soluble antioxidants that have the ability to neutralize harmful free radicals in
fat-soluble environments in the body.
Tocopherols are found in a variety of foods. Nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are the richest sources, while significant amounts are
also found in green leafy vegetables and fortified cereals.
There are four different types of tocopherols: alpha, beta, gamma, and delta. Each has a slightly different
chemical structure and function.
Alpha-tocopherol is the most biologically active form and is the form most commonly found in supplements
and in the European diet.
In the US, gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the diet due to a higher intake of soybean and corn oil.
Beta-tocopherol is not as common or as biologically active as alpha-tocopherol,
but it is still an important part of the vitamin E complex. Foods rich in beta-tocopherol include
certain nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, and some types of leafy green vegetables.
Delta-tocopherol is the least active tocopherol when it comes to vitamin activity in the human body.
It is usually in smaller amounts than alpha and gamma-tocopherols. The highest natural concentrations of delta-tocopherol can typically be
found in certain vegetable oils, like soybean oil and corn oil. Delta-tocopherol can also been found in some leafy green vegetables.
From a health perspective, tocopherols are crucial for normal neurological function and fertility, as well as acting as an antioxidant.
They are also involved in immune function, DNA repair, and other metabolic processes.
Deficiency of Vitamin E (tocopherols) can lead to neurological problems due to poor nerve conduction, muscle weakness, and retinopathy.
It's important to note that excessive consumption of alpha-tocopherol can potentially interfere with the absorption and function of
other forms of vitamin E, so it is usually recommended to get vitamin E from a balanced diet rather than supplements.
Examples of some tocopherols found in herbal leaf extracts are listed below:
Tea Leaves -
Green tea and black tea leaves contain alpha-tocopherol and gamma-tocopherol.
Herbs and Spices - Certain herbs and spices,
like oregano and paprika, are also rich in tocopherols. They contain mainly gamma-tocopherol, although alpha-tocopherol
can be present as well.
Green Leafy Vegetables - These are known to contain alpha-tocopherol,
the most biologically active form of Vitamin E. Spinach and kale, for example, are two leafy greens that are a good source of this tocopherol.
Cannabis Leaves - Some research has found that cannabis leaves contain alpha-tocopherol
and gamma-tocopherol.
Examples of some tocopherols found in fruit and vegetables are listed below:
Alpha-tocopherol -
The most active form of vitamin E in the human body, it is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables but is especially rich in wheat germ oil,
sunflower oil, and safflower oil.
Beta-tocopherol - Less prevalent in our diet compared to alpha-tocopherol. It
is found in some oils, such as corn and soybean.
Gamma-tocopherol - The most common form of vitamin E in the American diet,
largely due to its presence in soybean, corn, and canola oil, which are common in the typical Western diet.
The extraction process, including the solvents and methods used, can influence the concentration and types of tocopherols present in the final extract.
It is often the case that a balance needs to be found between fully-extracting all tocopherols while also ensuring that the compounds that are
obtained are of a high quality and not degraded.
At Celignis we have extensive experience in the design and optimisation of extraction protocols for a wide variety of chemical constituents from
many different biomass types. If needed we can also work on processes to separate and purify the target compounds.
Click here to read more about Celignis's Bioprocess Development Services for the extraction of
chemicals from biomass.
€1.6m Funding Success for Celignis in 2024 CBE-JU Calls
We have secured funding for involvement in 4 collaborative research projects
We are delighted to announce that Celignis has been successful in 4 project proposals submitted for funding to the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) programme.
These projects will provide funding of 1.6m EUR to Celignis over the next few years and build upon the 3 projects (worth 1.5m EUR) we secured last year and the 4 previous CBE/BBI projects that Celignis participated in.
Details on the projects are provided below:
WoodVALOR - This RIA project concerns the valorisation of contaminated/post-consumer wood waste (WW) via: (i) thermal conversion to biochar; and (ii) fractionation followed by conversions to paints & coatings ingredients. Celignis is involved in the chemo-enzymatic fractionation of decontaminated wood (DW) to sequentially extract/purify lignin and hemicellulose, and in developing hemicellulose-based emulsifiers/stabilizers and binder monomers for industrial formulations. Additionally, Celignis is involved in metals/mineral recovery from decontamination wastewater using
New Publication from a Celignis Bioprocess Development Project
The article, available in "Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery" is entitled "Process development for efficient pectin extraction from tobacco residues and its characterisation"
We are please to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed scientific article based on some of the research outputs of a Bioprocess Development Service (BDS) project undertaken by Celignis.
The article, entitled "Process development for efficient pectin extraction from tobacco residues and its characterisation" details the results of experiments targeting the optimised extraction of pectin from the laminae of a number of different varieties of tobacco plants. These tobacco-derived pectins were found to have a medium molecular weight and low methoxy content and our findings indicated that this feedstock could be suitable for the production of pectin with dietary applications.
Meeting takes place at the coordinator's (ITA) headquarters in Zaragoza, SPAIN
Celignis personnel are today attending the kick-off meeting of the CBE-JU project MANUREFINERY at the facilities of the project's coordinator (ITA) in Zaragoza, Spain.
MANUREFINERY concerns the development of a small, decentralised, modular biorefinery concept for farms that converts manure and ammonia emissions into seven marketable bio-ingredients (animal-feed proteins, caproic acid, and fertiliser salts/ashes). The solution integrates fixed/mobile units across three valorisation lines (gas, liquid, solid) and a digital twin for optimisation and scale-up, targeting TRL6-7 validation on four EU demo farms.
Celignis has a number of key roles in the project, including:
- Comprehensive analysis of the feedstocks and products of the process.
Meeting takes place at the coordinator's (AIMPLAS) headquarters in Valencia, Spain
PROMOFER, is an Innovation Action project funded by the CBE-JU, under topic HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023-IA-03 (Improve Fermentation Processes (Including Downstream Purification) To Final Bio-Based Products).
This project started in June 2024 with Celignis, an SME partner and full industry BIC member, playing a pivotal role in the project. Our core activities include undertaking the pre-treatment and hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass at scaled-up (TRL7, 1 m3) volumes. The resulting sugars are then provided to other partners for downstream fermentations.
Today Celignis's CIO Lalitha is attending the kick-off meeting of the project, at coordinator AIMPLAS's headquarters in Valencia, Spain.
We're attending the kick-off meeting for BIONEER in Trondheim, Norway (SINTEF)
Lalitha is attending the kick-off meeting of our CBE-JU project BIONEER, located at the coordinator's (SINTEF) premises in Trondheim, Norway.
BIONEER has the title "Scaled-up Production of Next-Generation Carbohydrate-Derived Building Blocks to Enhance the Competitiveness of a Sustainable European Chemicals Industry". It is a 4-year Innovation Action project with 7.5m EUR of funding provided by the CBE-JU.
Celignis plays a key role in BIONEER, being responsible for the scaled-up (TRL7) production of platform chemicals.
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