Definition of alpha-tocopherol
: the predominant form of vitamin E C29H50O2 that is essential to human nutrition
… the vitamin E sold as a dietary supplement contains primarily alpha-tocopherol.— Janet Raloff
Note: Alpha-tocopherol is a potent antioxidant and the most biologically active form of vitamin E. Because alpha-tocopherol is the form of vitamin E most essential to biological functioning, it is often used synonymously with vitamin E.
Vitamin E—also called alpha-tocopherol—is a vitamin in search of a deficiency disease.— S. Boyd Eaton
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for alpha-tocopherol
The first known use of alpha-tocopherol was in 1936
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