A balanced interaction between osteoblast and osteoclast plays a major role in maintaining bone strength and structural
integrity. Tocotrienol, a palm derivative with potent antioxidant properties showed an anti-osteoporotic effect but little
is known about its mechanism of action. Hence, this research was conducted to determine the effects of palm tocotrienol
on the surface osteoblast and osteoclast of the the glucocorticoid-induced osteoporotic bones. The study involved
40 male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250-300 g which were randomly divided into an equal number of Baseline,
Sham, Adrx+Dexa (adrenalectomized with dexamethasone), Adrx+Dexa+ATF (adrenalectomized with dexamethasone
supplemented with α-tocopherol) and Adrx+Dexa+PTT (adrenalectomized with dexamethasone supplemented with
palm tocotrienol). Bloods were taken prior to sacrifice for serum biomarkers and either tibia or femur was harvested
for bone biomarkers, gene expressions analysis and histological studies. A double-blinded experiment was performed
to calculate the number of total cells (osteoblasts and osteoclast) with intact nuclei within five fields of view. While
serum osteocalcin and gene expression did not show any changes, CTX level was increased in the Adrx+Dexa group
but reduced after the supplementation of palm tocotrienol. Supplementation of palm tocotrienol also significantly
decrease the osteoclast population (p<0.05) compared to Adrx+Dexa group. In contrast, osteoblast population showed
no significant difference across the groups. The result showed that palm tocotrienol acts by modulating the osteoclasts
but not osteoblast, which revert the dynamics of bone cells population in the osteoporotic bone to its pre-osteoporotic
levels. Supplements of tocotrienol in daily diet may be beneficial in preventing osteoporosis.