“Tocotrienols and plastochromanols: Novel aspects of their occurrence, determination, isolation, and application (TOCO-SOURCE-SOLUTIONS)”

Arecaceae & Poaceae families are represented by palm oil & cereal grains, respectively, as the most recognized monocots. Tocotrienol-rich oils can be obtained from palm pulp & kernel and cereal bran; however, grain by-products are used on a limited scale for this purpose. Data about natural sources of tocotrienols & plastochromanols is very limited. A chemotaxonomic approach can be a helpful tool to solve this issue. Environmentally friendly & solution-oriented processing & novel analytical tools are required as well. Although most processed foods still utilize palm oil, it is increasingly omitted from recipes & products are often labelled as palm oil-free. Due to the rarity of tocotrienols in plants and oils, they could be used as phytochemical fingerprints alongside tocopherols & plastochromanol-8 for food & plant authenticity based on tocochromanol pattern. Additionally, the positive/therapeutic potential of tocotrienols in many aspects of health matters has been stressed, while our understanding of plastochromanols remains limited.

The main project aim is to generate new knowledge regarding potential sources of tocotrienols and plastochromanols, as well as their isolation. This will be achieved through the application of a rapid RPLC-DAD-FLD chromatographic method developed and validated during the project, enabling the simultaneous detection of compounds such as tocopherols, tocotrienols, plastochromanols, carotenoids, and chlorophylls in a single analysis.

Project tasks:

1. Update tocochromanols (TCs) extraction protocols with plastochromanols (PCs) and non-extractable tocochromanols;
2. Develop a rapid RPLC-DAD-FLD method for simultaneous separation of four tocopherols (Ts), four tocotrienols (T3s), PCs, carotenoids, and chlorophylls in a single assay;
3. Discover new rich sources of T3s in monocots and PCs in plants (chemotaxonomic approach);
4. Develop a green and rapid authenticity protocol indicating the presence of palm oil in foodstuff (TC pattern/fingerprint);
5. Develop RPLC protocol of PCs isolation and establish a small/medium scale production of PC standards;
6. Develop green technologies for obtaining ‘safe-green-natural-high-quality’ extracts/oils rich in T3s and PCs from monocots and by-products;
7. Update www.tocochromanols.com website on TCs in monocots, food, and leaves.