Abstract
Retinol and tocopherols in umbilical cord plasma, maternal plasma placenta, and vernix caseosa were determined by a modified method of HPLC. Retinol and all 4 tocopherols were detected in maternal plasma. Retinol and α- and γ-tocopherol were detected in cord plasma, and placenta. α- and γ-tocopherol were detected in vernix caseosa. The ratio of γ-tocopherol to α-tocopherol was higher in cord plasma than in maternal plasma. The retinol concentration in maternal plasma was positively correlated with the ratio of tocopherol to total lipids i cord plasma. The tocopherol concentrations in placenta were high in the cases with high tocopherol concentration in maternal plasma. α-tocopherol concentration in vernix caseosa was about 6 times of that in cord plasma. It is implied that vernix caseosa could be a source of α-tocopherol for fetus.
