ABSTRACT
Vitamin E was rst discovered in 1922, when it was noted to restore fertility function (Evans and Bishop 1922; Wolf 2005). In 1936, vitamin E was aptly named “tocopherol,” from the Greek,
12.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 247 12.1.1 Discovery and Structures of Vitamin E .................................................................... 247 12.1.2 Vitamin E in the Human Diet ...................................................................................248 12.1.3 Transport and Metabolism of Vitamin E ..................................................................248
12.2 Possible Mechanisms of Cancer Prevention by Vitamin E ..................................................249 12.2.1 Regulation of Apoptosis and Cell Proliferation by Vitamin E .................................249 12.2.2 Direct and Indirect Antioxidative Activities of Vitamin E ......................................250 12.2.3 Regulation of ERs by Vitamin E .............................................................................. 251 12.2.4 Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ by Vitamin E ............. 251
12.3 Anti-Inammatory Activities of Vitamin E ......................................................................... 252 12.3.1 Inhibition of COX2 by Vitamin E ............................................................................ 252 12.3.2 Suppression of NF-κB by Vitamin E ........................................................................ 252 12.3.3 Protective Effects of Vitamin E in Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative
