Abstract
The thermal degradation pattern of $\alpha$-, ${\gamma}$-and $\delta$-tocopherols in glycerol was investigated during heating at 100~25$0^{\circ}C$ for 5-60 min in the absence of oxyge. The tocopherols and thermally decomposed products were separated by HPLC with a reversed phase $\mu$-Bondapak C18-column. The degradation pattern of $\alpha$-tocopherol during the heating in the absence of oxygen was different from those of ${\gamma}$-and $\delta$-tocopherols. But the degradation patterns of ${\gamma}$-and $\delta$-tocopherols were similar to each other. The residual content of $\alpha$-tocopherol during the heating in the absence of oxygen decreased to the range 12~65% and those of ${\gamma}$-and $\delta$-tocopherols decreased to the range 4~96%. The thermal degradation of tocopherols in the absence of oxygen was less than that in the presence of oxygen.