Tocols encompass tocopherols and tocotrienols, collectively known as vitamin E, and are associated with lipids in animal-based (e.g. dairy) and vegetable-based foods (e.g. oils and nuts). Chemically, tocopherols are methylated phenols with a saturated side chain, while tocotrienols possess an unsaturated isoprenoid side chain. Besides their vitamin E and antioxidant activities, tocols have been receiving attention due to reports of other interesting biological activities.

Chemical reactions leading to the degradation of food constituents under processing and storage conditions may cause the accumulation of compounds that compromise the sensorial and nutritional quality of foodstuffs, as well as their safety, and shelf-life. Notably, the oxidative deterioration of oil-rich foods can be protected by endogenous or added antioxidants, especially tocols. Under food processing and storage conditions, tocols therefore can offer protection against oxidative deterioration of foods, especially lipid-rich foodstuffs. Oils and fats derived from different sources (plants, animals, and microorganisms) generally differ from one another in terms of their minor constituents. The methods used to extract oils and fats, as well as industrial processing techniques such as degumming, refining, bleaching, and deodorization of vegetable oils, also affect such bioactive constituents. In addition, different post-processing treatments (i.e., heating, frying, cooking, or storage) may also cause degradation of important bioactive constituents, notably of tocols.

This Special Issue aims to create a multidisciplinary forum for discussion on recent advances in the chemistry and functionality of tocols, namely, their physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes, nutritional quality, and stability, as well as new research on the bioactivity of tocols. We welcome the submission of high-quality articles containing both original research results or review articles.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Conventional and non-conventional sources of tocols
• New trends in analytical and industrial methods of extraction and recovery/isolation of tocols
• Bioactivity and bioavailability of tocols
• Structure-function relationship of tocols
• Contribution of tocols to food sensorial properties, stability, and overall food quality