Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ezzahafezzi@gmail.com
  • 2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. joaan@ukm.edu.my
  • 3 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ctiemadiani@gmail.com
  • 4 Sime Darby Foods and Beverages Marketing Sdn. Bhd, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. zalina.hamid@simedarby.com
  • 5 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. wwanzurinah@yahoo.com
Antioxidants (Basel), 2018 May 28;7(6).
PMID: 29843393 DOI: 10.3390/antiox7060074

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tocotrienol and tocopherol are known to prevent numerous degenerative diseases. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) with α-tocopherol (α-TF) on the antioxidant status of healthy individuals aged between 50 and 55 years.

METHODS: Volunteers were divided into groups receiving placebo (n = 23), α-TF (n = 24) and TRF (n = 24). Fasting venous blood samples were taken at baseline (0 month), 3 months and 6 months of supplementation for the determination of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities as well as for reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations.

RESULTS: CAT and GPx were unaffected by TRF and α-TF supplementations. SOD activity increased significantly after six months of TRF supplementation. Analysis by gender showed that only female subjects had significant increases in SOD and GPx activities after six months of TRF supplementation. GPx activity was also significantly higher in females compared to males after six months of TRF supplementation. The GSH/GSSG ratio increased significantly after six months of TRF and α-TF supplementation in only the female subjects.

CONCLUSION: TRF and α-TF supplementation exhibited similar effects to the antioxidant levels of older adults with TRF having more significant effects in females.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.