Annatto (Bixa orellana) seeds, palm (Elaeis guineensis) oils, and St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) aerial parts as sources of rare prenyllipids

Tocopherols (Ts) are common lipophilic antioxidants, the most prevalent being α-T and γ-T, while tocotrienols (T3s) are considerably rarer. In recent years, tocotrienols have gained the attention of scientists because of their higher health potential than tocopherols. Current industrial sources of tocotrienols are palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) oil and annatto (Bixa orellana L.) seeds. The current study shows that Hypericum perforatum flowerheads are also a valuable source of tocotrienols. Several B. orellana seeds, E. guineensis oils, and H. perforatum flowerheads of different origin were investigated for their tocochromanol profile and content. In B. orellana and H. perforatum samples, δ-T3 constituted the largest portion, while in E. guineensis it was γ-T3. While the total tocotrienol content in H. perforatum flowerheads was similar to E. guineensis oil (54.9 and 52.8 mg/100 g, respectively) much lower than in B. orellana seeds (487.8 mg/100 g). The total tocotrienol content varied significantly in B. orellana seeds (coefficient of variation 0.42), but was more consistent in H. perforatum flowerheads (0.09–0.16). St. John’s wort can be considered as an alternative raw material for the extraction of tocotrienols in temperate climate zones.