Cyclodextrin (CD) is widely used in the pharmaceutical and nutritional fields to form an inclusion complex with lipophilic compounds for the improvement of their aqueous solubility, stability and diffusibility under physiological conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of the γ-tocotrienol (γT3) inclusion complex with CD on its oral bioavailability. Five-week-old C57BL6 mice were fed a vitamin E-free diet for 28 days, followed by the oral administration of 2.79 mg of γT3-rich fraction (TRF) extracted from rice bran or the equivalent dose (14.5 mg) of a CD inclusion complex with TRF (TRF/CD). The levels of γT3 in sequentially collected plasma were determined by LC-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic study revealed that the plasma concentrations of γT3 were increased and peaked at 6 or 3 h after the oral administration of TRF or TRF/CD, respectively (C(max) values of 7.9±3.3 or 11.4±4.5 μM, respectively). The area under the curve of plasma γT3 concentration also showed a 1.4-fold increase in the group administered with TRF/CD compared with the TRF-only group. Furthermore, the mice that had received the TRF/CD tended to reduce the endotoxin shock induced by injection with lethal amounts of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, compared with the mice that had received TRF alone. Taken together, our results suggest that the CD inclusion improved γT3 bioavailability, resulting in the enhancement of γT3 physiological activity, which would be a useful approach for the nutrition delivery system.

BACKGROUND&AIMS: Extracellular matrix deposition is key event for the development of bowel stenosis in Crohn’s disease patients. Transforming growth factor-β plays a key role in this process. We aimed at characterizing the effects of tocotrienol rich fraction on ECM proteins production and molecules that regulate the synthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, in human intestinal fibroblasts, and at elucidating whether the effects of tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) are mediated through inhibition of TGF-β1.

METHODS: HIF were isolated from colonic or ileal tissue from Crohn’s disease patients and control subjects, and were treated with TRF from palm oil either alone or in combination with TGF-β1. Procollagen 1, procollagen 3, TIMP-1 and MMP-3 production, and Smad3 phosphorylation were analyzed by Western-blotting.

RESULTS: TRF significantly diminished procollagen 1 and 3 synthesis in HIF. Treatment of HIF with TRF increased MMP-3 production but did not modify TIMP-1. TGF-β1 induced Smad3 phosphorylation and enhanced procollagen 1 and 3 and TIMP-1 production. Pre-treatment of HIF with TRF prevented Smad3 phosphorylation and minimized the increase in collagen 1 and 3 production caused by TGF-β1.

CONCLUSIONS: TRF has anti-fibrogenic effects on HIF, decreasing ECM production and increasing its degradation. This effect is mediated, at least in part, by inhibition of TGF-β1

Tocotrienols, like tocopherols, are members of the vitamin E family. While tocopherols (T) have been studied intensively, only recently havetocotrienols (T3) received increased attention due to their special health benefits. However, these positive attributes of T3 are probably lost as a result of degradation during food storage and processing, and there is little information about their oxidation products. Of particular interest are the oxidation products of α-tocotrienol (α-T3) as this is the least thermostable T3 isomer with the highest rate of degradation. The objective of this study was therefore to develop a reliable method for the determination of the most important oxidation products of α-T3 along with other tocochromanol isomers. We developed a high-performance liquid chromatography method with diode array detection, fluorescence detection, and a particle beam interface electron impact mass spectroscopy in order to separate the most important oxidation products of α-T3 (α-T3 spirodimers/spirotrimers, α-tocotrienoldihydroxy dimer, 7-formyl-β-tocotrienol (7-FβT3), 5-formyl-γ-tocotrienol (5-FγT3), α-tocotrienolquinone (α-T3Q), and α-T3Q dimers and α-tocotrienolquinone epoxides (α-T3QE)) from eight tocochromanol isomers. Furthermore, we sought to identify the as yet unknown oxidation products 5-FγT3, 7-FβT3, α-T3Q-dimer, and α-T3QE. Of these, 5-FγT3 was fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The objective of this study was to optimize a method to investigate the occurrence and to quantify the full isomeric composition of vitamin E (α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols and tocotrienols) in 6 vegetables (raw and cooked), 3 herbs/spices, raw and cooked eggs, vegetable oils (canola, olive and soybean), flaxseed and sorghum (flour and seeds) and soy (flour) by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Different conditions of extraction and analysis were tested. The optimized method consisted of direct extraction with solvent (hexane:ethyl acetate, 85:15, v/v). For analysis normal phase column was used with mobile phase consisting of hexane:isopropanol:acetic acid (98.9:0.6:0.5) with isocratic elution and fluorescence detection. Excellent separation of all isomers was obtained along with adequate quantification in the foods analyzed. Recovery rates of standards ranged from 91.3 to 99.4%. The linearity range for each isomer varied from 2.5 to 137.5 ng/mL (R² greater than 0.995 in all cases). Detection limits ranged from 21.0 to 48.0 ng/mL for tocopherols and from 56.0 to 67.0 ng/mL for tocotrienols, while quantification limits ranged from 105.0 to 240.0 ng/mL for tocopherols and from 280.0 to 335.0 ng/mL for tocotrienols. The optimized method was considered simple, fast and reliable, and also preserved vitamin E isomers when compared to validated methods involving saponification.

Vitamin E homologues, specifically tocotrienols, have been shown to have favorable effects on bone. They possess properties that are indicative of anti-resorptive activity, suggesting the potential for vitamin E in preventing bone loss. To investigate the anti-resorptive activity of the various vitamin E homologues, we cultured human osteoclasts from blood-derived CD14+ cells on collagen, dentin, and calcium phosphate substrates, with some samples supplemented with vitamin E homologues in their cell culture medium. These were compared to the clinically used bisphosphonate, pamidronate. Compounds were either added at the start of culture to study effects on osteoclast formation, or at the start of osteoclastic resorption to determine their effects on activity. The alpha- and gamma-tocotrienol isomers inhibited osteoclast formation without consequent reduction in total cell number. Only gamma-tocotrienol inhibited osteoclast activity without toxicity. Gamma-tocotrienol was the most potent inhibitor of both osteoclast formation and activity and requires further investigation into its anti-resorptive effects on bone.

Background: Resveratrol, a constituent of red wine, and γ-tocotrienol, a constituent of palm oil are important for cardioprotection. Although MicroRNAs are known regulators for genes involved in cardiac remodeling the regulatory pathway involving microRNA has not been studied so far.

Methods: We explored the cardioprotection by resveratrol, longevinex and γ tocotrienol in ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) model of rat and determined miRNA profile from isolated RNA. Systemic analyses of miRNA array and theirs targets were determined using a number of computational approaches.

Results: Resveratrol and γ-tocotrienol, either alone or in combination, modulated the expression pattern of miRNAs close to the control level based on PCA analyses. Differential expression was observed in over 75 miRNAs, some of them, such as miR-21 and miR-20b (antiangiogenic) were previously implicated in cardiac remodeling. The target genes for the highest differentially expressed miRNA include genes of various molecular function such as TGFβ1-Smad3 signaling pathway, inflammation and their transcription factors, which may play key role in reducing I/R injury. Administration of antagomiR-20 attenuated I/R induced VEGF and HIF1α level.

Conclusion: All the interventions treated for 3 weeks lead to significant cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury. A unique signature of miRNA profile is observed in control heart pretreated with resveratrol or γ-tocotrienol. We have determined specific group of miRNA in heart that have altered during IR injuries. Most of those altered microRNA expressions modulated close to their basal level in resveratrol or longevinex treated I/R rat. Interestingly, resveratrol and γ-tocotrienol resulted in synergestic action.

During the last two decades, several exciting reports have provided many advances in the role and biosynthesis of l-ascorbic acid (AsA) and tocochromanols, including tocopherols and tocotrienols, in higher plants. There are increasing bodies of experimental evidence that demonstrate that AsA and tocochromanols (especially tocopherols) play an important role as antioxidants and nutrients in mammals and photosynthetic organisms and are also involved in plant responses to stimuli. Although AsA and tocochromanol biosynthesis pathways have been well characterized using Arabidopsis, these pathways are still poorly understood in rice, which is an economically important monocot cereal crop. In this study using computational analysis of sequenced rice genome, we identified eight and seven potential non-redundant members involved in AsA and tocochromanol biosynthetic pathways, respectively. The results reveal that the common feature of these gene promoters is the combination of light-responsive, hormone-responsive, and stress-responsive elements. These findings, together with expression analysis in the MPSS database, indicate that AsA and tocochromanols might be co-related with the complex signaling pathways involved in plant responses.

The eight vitamin E isomers [α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols (T) and α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienols (T3)] and γ-oryzanol are known to possess diverse biological activities. This study examined the contents of these compounds and their distribution in 16 commercial rice varieties in Taiwan. Results showed that the order of vitamin E, total T, total T3, and γ-oryzanol contents was rice bran > brown rice > rice husk > polished rice. γ-T3 was the highest vitamin E isomer present in all rice samples, while β-T, β-T3, δ-T, and δ-T3 were present in trace amounts. The Japonica varieties contained a higher total T, total T3, and γ-oryzanol than the Indica varieties. They also have a higher level of α-T and α-T3 but a lower level of γ-T and γ-T3 than the Indica varieties. However, no obvious difference in total T, total T3, and γ-oryzanol content was noted between black- and red-colored rice varieties.

A recent and growing body of research has shown that members of this vitamin E family posses unique biologic functions. Tocotrienols have garnered much of this recent attention, and in particular alpha-tocotrienol has been shown to be the most potent neuroprotective form of vitamin E. Protection exclusively mediated through tocotrienols has been arbitrated to many mechanisms including inhibition of 12-LOX, c-Src, PLA2 and through up-regulation of MRP1. Further, tocotrienols have recently been shown to induce arteriogenesis through induction of TIMP1 and decreased activation of MMP2. However, the unique therapeutic potential of tocotrienols is not limited to neuroprotection. Tocotrienols have been shown to have molecular targets including: apoptotic regulators, cytokines, adhesion molecules, enzymes, kinases, receptors, transcription factors, and growth factors. In spite of this large and unique therapeutic potential, scientific literature on tocotrienols only accounts for approximately 1% of vitamin E research. Given the potential of tocotrienols and relatively scant literature, further investigation is warranted.

An improved normal phase high performance liquid chromatographic (NP-HPLC) method was developed for simultaneous quantification of eight vitamin E isomers (α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols and α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols) and γ-oryzanol in rice. A complete separation of all compounds was achieved within 25 min using an Inertsil CN-3, SIL-100A 5 μM (4.6 mm × 250 mm) column and an isocratic elution system of hexane/isopropanol/ethylacetate/acetic acid (97.6:0.8:0.8:0.8, v/v/v/v) at a flow rate varying from 0.7 to 1.5 mL min(-1). A linear correlation coefficient (r(2)>0.99) and high reproducibility were obtained at concentrations ranging 0.05-10 μg mL(-1) for vitamin E isomers and 0.5-500 μg mL(-1) for γ-oryzanol. This method proved to be rapid, accurate and reproducible.