A Century of Vitamin E: Early Milestones and Future Directions in Animal Nutrition

Yauheni Shastak (), Ute Obermueller-Jevic and Wolf Pelletier
Additional contact information
Yauheni Shastak: Nutrition & Health Division, BASF SE, 67063 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Ute Obermueller-Jevic: Nutrition & Health Division, BASF SE, 67063 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
Wolf Pelletier: Nutrition & Health Division, BASF SE, 67063 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Vitamin E, consisting of four tocopherols and four tocotrienols, with α-tocopherol as the most biologically active form, has a significant history in scientific research. It was first identified in the 1920s for its role in preventing neonatal mortality in rats. Over time, its chemical structure was elucidated, and its importance in the immune system, skin health, anti-inflammatory properties, and hormonal balance was revealed. Vitamin E production has evolved from natural sourcing to efficient synthesis with standardized potency units. Initially, animal studies focused on reproductive health and growth disorders, but later research highlighted vitamin E’s role in preventing encephalomalacia in domestic fowl and muscular dystrophy in various animals. Today, vitamin E is commonly used as a feed additive to enhance animal health and immune function. Despite substantial knowledge about its role in animal nutrition, several questions remain unanswered. Current research seeks to determine optimal supplementation levels, interactions with other nutrients, impacts on gene expression, cell signaling, and communication, as well as the effects of high dosages in livestock. Vitamin E continues to be a crucial component in improving animal health, and ongoing research aims to uncover its benefits and mechanisms of action further.

Keywords: vitamin E; history; animal nutrition; production; activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/8/1526/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/8/1526/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:8:p:1526-:d:1207498

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().