[3] The most prevalent form, α-tocopherol, is involved in molecular, cellular, biochemical processes closely related to overall lipoprotein and lipid homeostasis.

Ongoing research is believed to be "critical for manipulation of vitamin E homeostasis in a variety of oxidative stress-related disease conditions in humans.

"[4] One of these disease conditions is the α-tocopherol role in the use by malaria parasites to protect themselves from the highly oxidative environment in erythrocytes.

[6] To synthesize the ⍺-diastereomer selectively, tocol acetate is transformed to the naturally occurring, kinetically favored α-tocopherol after being catalyzed by the lipase enzyme.

[10] The α-Tocopherol is the most active diastereomer biologically, while being maintained at a high level in plasma and tissues of many different animal species.