Noguchi N, Niki E
Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Meguro, Japan.
Free Radic Res. 1998 Jun;28(6):561-72. doi: 10.3109/10715769809065812.
Vitamin E acts as an important antioxidant against oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein (LDL) which is accepted as an initial event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In spite of the numerous studies and reports, the action and role of vitamin E have not been fully elucidated yet. In this brief overview, the dynamics of action of vitamin E as an antioxidant have been discussed and it is emphasized that the total antioxidant potency is determined by the relative importance of many competing reactions which is determined by the reactivities and concentrations of substrates, radicals and antioxidant and by physical factors of the environment.