Tocopherols are well known constituents of vitamin E, and the main antioxidants in soybean. Are natural antioxidants and stabilizers that can inhibit lipid degradation, reducing non-enzymatic oxidation of these compounds during storage of seeds, germination and initial development of seedlings. The objective of this work was to determine the level of α-tocopherol in four soybean seeds cultivars naturally and artificially aged. Seeds of four soybean cultivars stored from 0 to 180 days in a dry chamber (natural aging) and subjected to high temperature and humidity (artificial aging) were analyzed for α-tocopherol content. The quantification of α-tocopherol in the soybean seeds was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with the Soxhlet extraction method. Significant differences in α-tocopherol levels in seeds were observed for all cultivars and storage times. The α-tocopherol contents of the soybean seeds showed linear correlations with an increasing period of storage for all the cultivars studied. However, the artificially aged seeds had a higher content of α-tocopherol than those naturally aged.
Glycine max (L.) Merrill; α-tocopherol; storage
