Supplementation of oil palm phenolics in normal healthy human volunteers

Abstract

In comparison to the lipid‐soluble antioxidants (vitamin E and carotenoids), it has been less known that the oil palm fruit also contains potent water‐soluble antioxidants. MPOB has developed a breakthrough technology in harvesting a substantial amount of phenolic acids from the bio‐aqueous co‐product of oil palm fruit. Based on several emerging evidences from in‐vitro and animal studies postulating the antioxidant effectiveness of oil palm phenolics (OPP), a Phase 1 Clinical Trial was conducted to evaluate physiological effects of the OPP. In this single‐blind, cross‐over design trial, 25 healthy human volunteers were supplemented with 150 mL of control or OPP (concentration at 1500 ppm Gallic acid equivalent, GAE) treatments, twice per day for 60 days recruitment period. Fasting blood and urine samples were collected at day 1, 30 and 60, and medical examination was performed during the trial interventions. All clinical biochemistry profiles values observed throughout the OPP trial recruitment period were in normal range and no major adverse effect occurred. Additionally, OPP supplementation resulted in significantly improving total cholesterol and LDL‐C levels, compared to the control treatment. These current evidences have provided investigators with several outcomes that justify the needs to continue the investigation with the dose‐exploration and phase 2 clinical trials of OPP in the near future.