of the biological activities of vitamin E analogs. FEBS Lett 409: 105-108, 1997.


6. Sen CK, Khanna S, Sashwati R. Tocotrienol Neuroprotection: The Most Potent Biological Function of All Natural Forms of Vitamin E. Mi- cronutrient & Brain Health. CRC Press, 2009.


7. Frank J, Chin XW, Schrader C, Eckert GP, Rim- bach G. Do tocotrienols have potential as neuro- protective dietary factors? Ageing Res Rev. 2012 Jan;11(1):163-80. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2011.06.006. PMID:21763788


8. Yap SP, Yuen KH. Influence of lipolysis and droplet size on tocotrienol absorption from


self-emulsifying formulations. Int J Pharm. 2004 Aug 20;281(1-2):67-78.


9. Yap SP, Yuen KH, Lim AB. Influence of route of administration on the absorption and disposition of alpha-, gamma- and delta-tocotrienols in rats. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2003 Jan;55(1):53-8.


Exciting New Research An Update from Barrie Tan, PhD


In 2008, Focus featured Barrie Tan, PhD, on tocotrienol research. Here, Dr. Tan updates us on advances since that time. Dr. Tan is the senior editor of Tocotrienols: Vitamin E Beyond Tocopherols (AOCS & CRC Press;


Focus: What’s new since we talked in 2008?


Tan: There has been a veritable explosion of tocotrienol research. We now have positive clinical studies on bone resorption, can- cer, and more studies on choles- terol, to name a few.


Confirmation of tocotrienols’ re- duction of triglyceride levels has been repeated.1


There is also in-


creasing evidence that tocotrie- nols have a beneficial effect on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.2 The American Diabetes Associ- ation, a formal organization, fi- nally recognizes that fatty liver is common in diabetic and pre-dia- betic patients.


Bone resorption is another ex- citing


area. Numerous animal studies have shown that tocot- rienols prevent resorption. In an- imals, tocotrienols also reversed smoke-related and steroid-in- duced bone mineral density loss, and healed fractured bones fast-


20 Focus April 2013 er.3-7


September 2012), and organized the 2nd International Tocotrienol Symposium in conjunction with the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Oil Chemists’ Society in 2012.


Recently a good, placebo


controlled study on post-meno- pausal women with osteopenia, which is bone thinning, has just been approved. It will take place at Texas Tech University, Lub- bock, TX. There are also going to be cell line studies to determine just how tocotrienol promotes the longevity of the osteoblast (which forms new bone), and downregulates the osteoclast (which breaks down bone).


They include riboflavin, delta-tocotrienol, quercetin and resveratrol. In his 2012 paper, he tested healthy seniors, who have


Another exciting new area of work is in control of adverse in- flammation. Dr. Asaf Qureshi, who first differentiated tocotrie- nol’s cholesterol-lowering func- tion from tocopherol function in the 1980’s, is now giving his at- tention to inflammation. He has tested dozens of compounds and found several that have substan- tive anti-inflammatory proper- ties.8


elevated levels of inflammation compared to children and young adults. After taking a combina- tion supplement with the above anti-inflammatory


compounds,


Elsewhere, Qureshi has been testing cell line and animal models, while studying inflam- matory mediators like Nf-Kap- paB. Others have examined Cox2 down-regulation.10-13


their levels of c-reactive protein, nitric oxide, uric acid, and total cholesterol were significantly de- creased.9


In addition, new data on cho- lesterol confirm our earlier data. Lipids will drop on tocotrienol. Our studies show that a combi- nation of delta and gamma tocot- rienol is potent.1


All in all, it’s been an exciting five years since we last talked!


References:


1. Zaiden N, et al.. Gamma delta tocotrienols reduce hepatic triglyceride synthesis and VLDL secretion. J Atheroscler Thromb, 2010. 17(10): p. 1019-32.


2. Yachi R, Igarashi O, Kiyose C. Protective Ef- fects of Vitamin E Analogs against Carbon Tet-


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