Dose dependent elevation of plasma tocotrienol levels and its effect on arterial compliance, plasma total antioxidant status, and lipid profile in healthy humans supplemented with tocotrienol rich vitamin E

• Published in: Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology 2006, Vol.52(6), pp.473-478
• Main Authors: Rasool, A.H.G.(Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang), Yuen, K.H, Yusoff, K, Wong, A.R, Rahman, A.R.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; ANTIOXIDANTES; ANTIOXIDANTS; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Antioxidants - adverse effects; Antioxidants - metabolism; ANTIOXYDANT; ARTERE; arterial compliance; ARTERIAS; ARTERIES; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity - drug effects; BLOOD PLASMA; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Cholesterol - blood; Compliance - drug effects; Dietary Supplements; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Femoral Artery - drug effects; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENERO HUMANO; GENRE HUMAIN; Humans; LIPIDE; LIPIDOS; LIPIDS; Lipids - blood; Lipoproteins, LDL - blood; Lipoproteins, LDL - drug effects; Male; MANKIND; PLASMA SANGUIN; PLASMA SANGUINEO; Reference Values; TOCOTRIENOL; tocotrienol-rich vitamin E; TOCOTRIENOLES; TOCOTRIENOLS; Tocotrienols - blood; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; VITAMIN E; Vitamin E - administration & dosage; VITAMINA E; VITAMINE E; δ,γ and α-tocotrienol plasma concentration
• ISSN: 0301-4800; 1881-7742
• DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.52.473

Tocotrienols are a class of vitamin E reported to be potent antioxidants, besides having the ability to inhibit the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme. This study assessed the effects of 3 doses of tocotrienol-rich vitamin E (TRE) on plasma tocotrienol isomer concentration, arterial compliance, plasma total antioxidant status (TAS), aortic systolic blood pressure (ASBP), serum total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in healthy males. Methodology: This randomised, blinded end-point, placebo-controlled clinical trial with a parallel design involved 36 healthy male subjects who took either an oral placebo or TRE at doses of 80, 160 or 320 mg daily for 2 mo. Baseline and end-of-treatment measurements of vitamin E concentration, arterial compliance [assessed by aortic femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI)], ASBP, plasma TAS, serum TC and LDL-C were taken. Results: Baseline tocotrienol isomer concentrations were low and not detectable in some subjects. Upon supplementation, all TRE-treated groups showed significant difference from placebo for their change in α, γ and δ tocotrienol concentrations from baseline to end of treatment. There was a linear dose and blood level relationship for all the isomers. There was no significant difference between groups for their change in PWV, AI, plasma TAS, ASBP, TC or LDL-C from baseline to end of treatment. Groups 160 mg (p=0.024) and 320 mg (p=0.049) showed significant reductions in their ASBP. Group 320 mg showed a significant 9.2% improvement in TAS. Conclusion: TRE at doses up to 320 mg daily were well tolerated. Treatment significantly increased α, δ, and γ tocotrienol concentrations but did not significantly affect arterial compliance, plasma TAS, serum TC or LDL-C levels in normal subjects.