title: Tandem mass spectrometry in vitamin E analysis.
abstract: Tandem mass spectrometry is applied to the tocopherols and representative tocotrienols of the vitamin E family. The collision-induced dissociation/mass analysed ion kinetic energy spectra generated from three ions in the electron impact ionization spectra of 5,7,8-trimethyltocol, 5,7,8-trimethyltocotrienol, 5,7-, 5,8- and 7,8-dimethyltocol and 7,8-dimethyltocotrienol are described. The technique allowed direct physical characterization of each class of tocochromanol, and in the case of monomethyltocols differentiation of 5-methyltocol from the 7- and 8-methyltocol isomers, and its value in analysis of biological tissue extracts is established.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University College of Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Mullins
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Brenton
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Beynon
mesh_terms: D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E