» Articles » PMID: 31963885

Potential Role of Tocotrienols on Non-Communicable Diseases: A Review of Current Evidence

Abstract

Tocotrienol (T3) is a subfamily of vitamin E known for its wide array of medicinal properties. This review aimed to summarize the health benefits of T3, particularly in prevention or treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic, gastric, and skin disorders, as well as cancers. Studies showed that T3 could prevent various NCDs, by suppressing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) in the mevalonate pathway, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and alternating hormones. The efficacy of T3 in preventing/treating these NCDs is similar or greater compared to tocopherol (TF). TF may lower the efficacy of T3 because the efficacy of the combination of TF and T3 was lower than T3 alone in some studies. Data investigating the effects of T3 on osteoporosis, arthritis, and peptic ulcers in human are limited. The positive outcomes of T3 treatment obtained from the preclinical studies warrant further validation from clinical trials.

Citing Articles

Enhancing Commercial Gourmet Oil Quality: The Role of Dried Cayenne Pepper Red ( L.) as a Natural Additive.

Knazicka Z, Galik B, Novotna I, Arvay J, Fatrcova-Sramkova K, Kacaniova M Molecules. 2025; 30(4).

PMID: 40005237 PMC: 11858105. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30040927.


Limb Osseointegration-How Important Is the Role of Nutrition in the Process?.

Wnuk-Scardaccione A, Cima M Nutrients. 2025; 17(4).

PMID: 40004935 PMC: 11858377. DOI: 10.3390/nu17040606.


Effects of Tocotrienol on Cardiovascular Risk Markers in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Trugilho L, Alvarenga L, Cardozo L, Paiva B, Brito J, Barboza I J Nutr Metab. 2025; 2025():8482883.

PMID: 39840146 PMC: 11745556. DOI: 10.1155/jnme/8482883.


Exploring the anti-inflammatory activities, mechanism of action and prospective drug delivery systems of tocotrienol to target neurodegenerative diseases.

Mathew A, Bhuvanendran S, Nair R, Radhakrishnan A F1000Res. 2024; 12:338.

PMID: 39291146 PMC: 11406131. DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.131863.1.


Updates in the skeletal and joint protective effects of tocotrienol: a mini review.

Chin K Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024; 15:1417191.

PMID: 38974581 PMC: 11224474. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1417191.


References
1.
Park H, Kubicki N, Gnyawali S, Chan Y, Roy S, Khanna S . Natural vitamin E α-tocotrienol protects against ischemic stroke by induction of multidrug resistance-associated protein 1. Stroke. 2011; 42(8):2308-14. PMC: 3362046. DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.608547. View

2.
Camps J, Garcia-Heredia A . Introduction: oxidation and inflammation, a molecular link between non-communicable diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2014; 824:1-4. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-07320-0_1. View

3.
Minhajuddin M, Beg Z, Iqbal J . Hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of tocotrienol rich fraction isolated from rice bran oil in experimentally induced hyperlipidemic rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2005; 43(5):747-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2005.01.015. View

4.
Pein H, Ville A, Pace S, Temml V, Garscha U, Raasch M . Endogenous metabolites of vitamin E limit inflammation by targeting 5-lipoxygenase. Nat Commun. 2018; 9(1):3834. PMC: 6148290. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06158-5. View

5.
Lanas A . Role of nitric oxide in the gastrointestinal tract. Arthritis Res Ther. 2008; 10 Suppl 2:S4. PMC: 2582807. DOI: 10.1186/ar2465. View