title: Interaction among vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.
abstract: The effects of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), and beta-carotene as antioxidants and their cooperative action against the oxidation of lipid in solution, membranes, and lipoproteins have been studied and reviewed. Ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol act as potent, and probably the most important, hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants, respectively. They function at their own site individually and furthermore act synergistically. beta-Carotene has lower reactivity toward radicals than does alpha-tocopherol and acts as a weak antioxidant in solution. It is more lipophilic than alpha-tocopherol and is assumed to be present at the interior of membranes or lipoproteins, which enables it to scavenge radicals within the lipophilic compartment more efficiently than does alpha-tocopherol. The cooperative interaction between vitamin C and vitamin E may be quite probable, that of vitamin C and beta-carotene is improbable, whereas that between vitamin E and beta-carotene may be possible.
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019207:beta Carotene
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D001205:Ascorbic Acid