Abstract
Vitamin E has been recognized as an essential vitamin since their discovery in 1922. Although the functions of tocopherols are well established, tocotrienols have been the unsung heroes of vitamin E. Due to their structural differences, tocotrienols were reported to exert distinctive properties compared to tocopherols. While most vegetable oils contain higher amount of tocopherols, tocotrienols were found abundantly in palm oil. Nature has made palm vitamin E to contain up to 70% of total tocotrienols, among which alpha-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienols are the major constituents. Recent advancements have shown their biological properties in conferring protection against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and immune regulation. Preclinical results of these physiological functions were translated into clinical trials gaining global attention. This review will discuss in detail the evidence in human studies to date in terms of efficacy, population, disease state and bioavailability. The review will serve as a platform to pave the future direction for tocotrienols in clinical settings.
Highlights
Due to the increasing trend of life expectancy and awareness towards lifestyle-related diseases, the nutraceutical industry is gaining prominence and has penetrated into consumers’ average daily diet
In trials involving hypercholesterolemic subjects, supplementation of tocotrienol-rich fractions (TRF) ranging from 200 to 300 mg per day resulted in significant decrease in total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) [7,8,9,10,11]
In a single arm study involving healthy subjects, significant reduction in TC was observed but no changes were detected for LDL and high density lipoprotein (HDL) after 30 days of supplementation with about 18, 42 and 240 mg of palm oil vitamin E concentrate (Palmvitee) [17]
Summary
Due to the increasing trend of life expectancy and awareness towards lifestyle-related diseases, the nutraceutical industry is gaining prominence and has penetrated into consumers’ average daily diet. While the term nutraceutical has not been well defined, it generally refers to any food or supplements that have a beneficial nutritional effect. The current market trend has segmented the nutraceutical industry into two major categories, i.e., functional foods and dietary supplements. Among the major global ingredients, vitamin E has market revenue of USD 83.4 million, alongside with omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, probiotics and soy proteins [1]. While tocopherols are attached with a saturated tail at the C2 position, tocotrienols have three double bonds in the side chain. Both TP and T3 have four homologs, namely alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ) and delta (δ). Global trend of nutraceutical ingredients is moving towards disease or condition specific formulations.
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