Abstract
(1) Background: Tocochromanols are a group of fat-soluble compounds including vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) and plastochromanol-8, and just one avocado can contain up to 20% of the required vitamin E daily intake. (2) Methods: HPLC and LC-MS/MS analyses were performed in avocados of various varieties and origin for the identification and quantification of tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8. After selection of the variety with the highest vitamin E content, we evaluated to what extent short- (4 h) and long-term (10 d) cold storage influences the accumulation of tocochromanols. (3) Results: Analyses revealed that “Bacon” avocados (Persea americana Mill. cv. Bacon) were the richest in vitamin E compared to other avocado varieties (including the highly commercialized Hass variety), and they not only accumulated tocopherols (with 110 µg of α-tocopherol per g dry matter), but also tocotrienols (mostly in the form of γ-tocotrienol, with 3 µg per g dry matter) and plastochromanol-8 (4.5 µg per g dry matter). While short-term cold shock did not negatively influence α-tocopherol contents, it increased those of γ-tocopherol, γ-tocotrienol, and plastochromanol-8 and decreased those of δ-tocotrienol. Furthermore, storage of Bacon avocados for 10 d led to a 20% decrease in the contents of α-tocopherol, whereas the contents of other tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 were not affected. (4) Conclusions: It is concluded that Bacon avocados (i) are very rich in α-tocopherol, (ii) not only contain tocopherols, but also tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8, and (iii) their nutritional vitamin E value is negatively influenced by long-term cold storage.
Highlights
Tocochromanols are a group of amphiphilic molecules that includes tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 [1,2]
(4) Conclusions: It is concluded that Bacon avocados (i) are very rich in α-tocopherol, (ii) contain tocopherols, and tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8, and (iii) their nutritional vitamin E value is negatively influenced by long-term cold storage
These are all composed by a polar chromanol head and a highly apolar polyprenyl side chain that provide them with the capacity to exert an antioxidant function in membranes, from cyanobacteria and plants where they are synthetized until a variety of tissues in animals and humans, which incorporate tocochromanols regularly from their daily dietary intake [1,2]
Summary
Tocochromanols are a group of amphiphilic molecules that includes tocopherols, tocotrienols and plastochromanol-8 [1,2]. These are all composed by a polar chromanol head and a highly apolar polyprenyl side chain that provide them with the capacity to exert an antioxidant function in membranes, from cyanobacteria and plants where they are synthetized until a variety of tissues in animals and humans, which incorporate tocochromanols regularly from their daily dietary intake [1,2]. While α-tocopherol is a universal molecule found in plants, animals and humans, tocotrienols have not been described in all photosynthetic tissues; rather, they accumulate in seeds and fruits of some plant species only [5,6]. Plastochromanol-8 is not present universally, despite being found in many plant tissues such as seeds, leaves, buds, flowers and fruits of several species [2,7,8]
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