Extraction of lipid membrane incorporated vitamin E by sucrose polyesters

2H and 31P solid state NMR have been used to probe, at the molecular level, the interaction between structurally different sucrose polyesters and a phospholipid membrane into which alpha-tocopherol and specifically deuterated alpha-5,7-(2)H(6)] tocopherol has been incorporated. Our results show that at high concentration (>or=10 mol%) sucrose octapalmitate (SOP) and sucrose hexapalmitate (SHxP) deplete bilayer-associated alpha-tocopherol in dipalmitoyl phosphatidalcholine (DPPC) multilamellar dispersions and preferentially sequester the alpha-tocopherol into a fluid sucrose polyesters (SPE) phase located proximal to the membrane surface. It is demonstrated that the ability of SPEs to function as a 'lipophilic sink' depends strongly on sucrose polyester concentration and degree of esterification.