The determination of tocopherols and isoprenoid quinones in the grain and seedlings of wheat (Triticum vulgare)

Abstract

1. A comparison is made of several procedures for the extraction of tocopherols and isoprenoid quinones from plant tissues. 2. Gradient-elution column chromatography on acid-washed alumina efficiently separates the isoprenoid quinones and tocopherols into groups that can then be assayed spectrophotometrically or, with the tocopherols, separated into their individual components and determined by gas–liquid chromatography. 3. This improved analytical procedure was used to study the distribution of the tocopherols and of ubiquinone in the ungerminated wheat grain.