Additive antioxidant capacity of vitamin C and tocopherols in combination

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (tocopherols) are water-soluble and fat-soluble essential nutrients, respectively, present ubiquitously in cellular membranes and plasma through dietary intake of fruits and vegetables. These vitamins act as antioxidants by virtue of their free hydroxyl groups. To quantitatively assess the vitamin C-tocopherol interaction in generating total antioxidant capacity, various binary mixtures of vitamin C and tocopherols (α, β, δ, and γ) were titrated with ABTS radicals. In this assay, the antioxidant capacity of tocopherols increased as follows: β-tocopherol