American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 27, 1026-1034, Copyright © 1974 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Relationships between coenzyme Q and vitamin E

¹ From the Institute for Medical Research, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712

Coenzyme Q and vitamin E have limited organic structural features in common, but their biochemical roles in life processes can be distinctly different. Vitamin E is a chromanol; the quinone analog of vitamin E related to coenzyme Q is a plastoquinone which has no role in nutrition, but functions in photosynthesis. Coenzyme Q is a quinone and its chromanol, similar to vitamin E, has no role in life processes. The organic chemical and biochemical differentiation between coenzyme Q and vitamin E were less clear in the early 1960's, but fortunately led to a study of coenzyme Q in experimental animal diseases caused by diets low in vitamin E. These studies demonstrated the lifesaving and vitamin activity of coenzyme Q in rabbits, monkeys, rats, hamsters, chickens, and turkeys. Coenzyme Q has indispensable, electron transfer functions in three mitochondrial oxidases, and functions in the Golgi apparatus, and is a component of a cytoplasmic aldehyde oxidase. Vitamin E does not coenzymatically substitute for coenzyme Q in any CoQ¹⁰-enzyme which is in agreement with their organic structural differences. The biosynthesis of coenzyme Q¹⁰, in human tissue requires many of the known vitamins and essential minerals and underscores the importance of coenzyme Q in nutritional sciences.

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