Tocotrienols: the unsaturated sidekick shifting new paradigms in vitamin E therapeutics

Abstract

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Vitamin E family members: tocotrienols and tocopherols are widely known for their health benefits. Decades of research on tocotrienols have shown they have diverse biological activities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective and skin protection benefits, as well as improved cognition, bone health, longevity and reduction of cholesterol levels in plasma. Tocotrienols also modulate several intracellular molecular targets and, most importantly, have been shown to improve lipid profiles, reduce total cholesterol and reduce the volume of white matter lesions in human clinical trials. This review provides a comprehensive update on the little-known therapeutic potentials of tocotrienols, which tocopherols lack in a variety of inflammation-driven diseases. Vitamin E is a lipid-soluble, radical buster existing in two different isoforms: tocotrienols and tocopherols, and has been used continuously because of its many biological activities, which are pharmacologically capable of tackling a wide array of diseases, thus improving health issues occurring every day.