TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Components: The plant source extract is a palm oil extract (preferred), a rice extract, a rice bran extract, and/or an annatto extract, preferably Tocomin (RTM: Tocotrienol) or annatto extract.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The functionalization in step (a) is introduced by aminoalkylation with paraformaldehyde and a solid-phase-bound cyclic amine comprising solidphase-bound-piperazine, solid-phase-bound-piperidine or solid-phase-bound-benzotriazole. The amino-alkylation is introduced with paraformaldehyde and solid-phase-bound-piperazine. The process additionally comprises: a recovering the solid-phase-bound secondary amine for future use; and purifying the alpha -tocotrienol from step (c) by converting it into a crystalline derivative, followed by recrystallization and cleavage of the derivative to yield d- alpha -tocotrienol with high purity. Preferred Components: The amino-alkylation is introduced with paraformaldehyde and solid-phase-bound-piperazine. EXAMPLE - Paraformaldehyde (0.08 wt, 95%) and resin-bound piperazine (0.3 vol) were added to Tocomin (RTM: Tocotrienol/tocopherol complex). The suspension was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then at 75 degrees C for 2-3 hours. The solution was heated at 125 degrees C and monitored for conversion of starting material components to product components. The mixture was cooled to at room temperature, and filtered from the supernatant, and washed with solvents to remove unreacted materials to give the solid-phase non- alpha -tocotrienol and amine adducts. Sodium cyanoborohydride (0.43 wt.%) and 3-methylbutanol (2 vol) were added at room temperature. The suspension was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then heated to 125 degrees C. The preheated mixture was added over 1.5 hours the previously prepared solution of aminomethylated tocols in 3-methylbutanol (3 vol) followed by an additional rinse of 3-methylbutanol (0.5 vol). The mixture was heated at 125 degrees C and monitored for conversion of starting material components to product components. The mixture was cooled at 50 degrees C, and diluted with heptane (5 vol), and then cooled at 0 degrees C, to treat with 45 wt.% of aqueous tribasic potassium phosphate solution (5 vol). The two phase mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours, the organic layer was separated, and then washed with 45 wt.% aqueous tribasic potassium phosphate solution (3 vol), and concentrated by distillation at up to 50 degrees C under vacuum. Then, the residue toluene was added (7 vol.). The resulting solution was added to a mixture of silica gel (2 wt.%) and toluene (5.5 vol) with an additional rinse of toluene (2 vol). The silica gel was removed by filtration and washed with toluene (2x 5 vol). The combined filtrates were concentrated by distillation at up to 50 degrees C under vacuum. The residue solution was cooled at 30 degrees C and transferred to a rotoevaporator with toluene (2x 1.4 vol.) and further evaporated to dryness by distillation at up to 60 degrees C under vacuum to give alpha -tocotrienol.