The paper presents a study on the effect of a treatment of steers with a single oral dose of soybean oil deodorizer distillate (SODD) on the alpha- and gamma-tocopherol blood plasma concentrations. SODD containing 1.95% of alpha-tocopherol and 8.45% of gamma-tocopherol in doses of 0.75, 1.50 or 2.25g/kg live weight was used on nine 2-year-old Nelore (Bos indicus) steers to promote increases in the plasma concentration of vitamin E. Tocopherol analyses were performed by HPLC on a C18 column, using a UV detector. The results showed that a single oral treatment of steers with SODD produces significant increases in plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherol levels. The vitamin E content was increased up to four times the initial content, showing the high capacity of SODD as a source of vitamin E for bovines in a single oral dose with the objective of increasing vitamin E blood plasma concentrations and, consequently, the levels in the tissues, as well. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.613301306