EFFECT OF CARRIER SOLVENT POLARITY ON SELECTIVE INCORPORATION OF EXOGENOUS δ‐TOCOPHEROL INTO MUSCLE MEMBRANES

Selective incorporation of lipid‐soluble antioxidants into the oxidation‐sensitive membrane lipids may improve the shelf life. The optimal dielectric constant for δ‐tocopherol incorporation into a muscle membrane fraction when the tocopherol was added before the oil was approximately 21. This shifted to a value of about 27 when oil was present in the system before addition of the antioxidant. Tocopherol concentration in the oil fraction decreased continuously with an increase of dielectric constant from 17 to 32 when the antioxidant was added before the oil. When oil was present during antioxidant addition, no change in tocopherol concentration in the oil was observed except at the highest dielectric constant (32). The uptake of tocopherol was low in both the oil and membrane fractions when the carrier had a dielectric constant of 32 (propylene glycol). A higher concentration of δ‐tocopherol was achieved in the membrane fraction when the antioxidant was added to the system prior to the oil.