Vitamin D is a membrane antioxidant. Ability to inhibit iron-dependent lipid peroxidation in liposomes compared to cholesterol, ergosterol and tamoxifen and relevance to anticancer action.

Vitamin D is a membrane antioxidant: thus Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and its active metabolite 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and also Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and 7-dehydrocholesterol (pro-Vitamin D3) all inhibited iron-dependent liposomal lipid peroxidation. Cholecalciferol, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and ergocalciferol were all of similar effectiveness as inhibitors of lipid peroxidation but were less effective than 7-dehydrocholesterol; this was a better inhibitor of lipid peroxidation than cholesterol, though not ergosterol. The structural basis for the antioxidant ability of these Vitamin D compounds is considered in terms of their molecular relationship to cholesterol and ergosterol. Furthermore, the antioxidant ability of Vitamin D is compared to that of the anticancer drug tamoxifen and its 4-hydroxy metabolite (structural mimics of cholesterol) and discussed in relation to the anticancer action of this vitamin.