Abstract
Tocotrienol (T3) is a subfamily of vitamin E known for its wide array of medicinal properties. This review aimed to summarize the health benefits of T3, particularly in prevention or treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic, gastric, and skin disorders, as well as cancers. Studies showed that T3 could prevent various NCDs, by suppressing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) in the mevalonate pathway, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and alternating hormones. The efficacy of T3 in preventing/treating these NCDs is similar or greater compared to tocopherol (TF). TF may lower the efficacy of T3 because the efficacy of the combination of TF and T3 was lower than T3 alone in some studies. Data investigating the effects of T3 on osteoporosis, arthritis, and peptic ulcers in human are limited. The positive outcomes of T3 treatment obtained from the preclinical studies warrant further validation from clinical trials.
Highlights
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of death and the growing threat to global health
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the health-promoting benefits of T3, on its in preventing/treating NCDs
Supplementation of annatto T3 (430 or 860 mg/day) for 12 weeks decreased bone marker levels (serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), urine N-terminal telopeptide (NTX), serum soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and RANKL/OPG ratio) and oxidative stress biomarker (urinary 8-hydroxy-2 -deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)) in postmenopausal women with osteopenia relative to the placebo group. These findings suggested that T3 exerted osteoprotective effects by suppressing bone remodeling regulators in postmenopausal women with osteopenia, which might be in part mediated by the inhibition of oxidative stress [168]
Summary
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become the leading cause of death and the growing threat to global health. They account for 71% (41 million) of the total death cases (57 million) occurred worldwide [1]. Among the NCDs, cardiovascular diseases (31%), cancers (16%), injuries (9%), chronic respiratory diseases (7%) and diabetes (3%) are the major contributors for the global deaths [1]. The escalating prevalence of behavioural and metabolic risk factors (such as overnutrition, physical inactivity, obesity, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and tobacco use) results in the predominance of disease burden by NCDs. The overwhelming inflammatory response and oxidative stress serve as both the precursor and manifestation of NCDs [2]. Alteration of the hormone balance and mevalonate pathway have been recognized as the underlying mechanism governing the onset and progression of most diseases [3,4]
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