Study: Synergistic Effect Found for Mixed-Tocotrienol and Alpha-Tocopherol

18 Apr 2013 --- Carotech Inc., the world’s largest and only GMP-certified tocotrienol producer is excited to share a recently published study that shows the synergistic effect of oral supplementation of d-mixed tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol in improving non-alcoholic steatohepatitis rats.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatits (NASH) is the most extreme form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), resulting from the accumulation of triglycerides/fats (fatty liver), oxidative stress and inflammatory in the liver. NASH can often lead to liver cirrhosis and cancer. NASH affects approx. 5 percent of Americans and up to 20% of adults with NASH may have cirrhosis, according to the American Liver Foundation. NAFLD, on the other hand, affects approximately 30% of the US population.

The American Association for the Advancement of Liver Diseases and two gastrointestinal professional associations recently published a guideline that provides a framework for the diagnosis and management of NASH patients. Daily supplementation of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) at a dose of 800 IU/day is recommended in this specific NAFLD population. However, on the flip side, there exist scientific evidence which indicates that high-dose of alpha-tocopherol (400IU per day and above) increases risks for all-cause mortality and prostate cancer.

Published in March 2013, researchers at the Kanagawa Institute of Technology and University of Tokyo, Japan designed a rat model of steatohepatitis to study the effects of other vitamin E forms especially tocotrienols, against NASH. Rats were divided into 5 groups receiving 5 different types of diets respectively :-
i. a vitamin E-deficient high fat group (Control)
ii. a vitamin E-deficient high fat group + TNF/GalN group (TNF Group)
iii. an alpha-tocopherol enriched high fat group + TNF/GalN group (Alpha-Tocopherol Group)
iv. a mixed-tocotrienol enriched high fat group + TNF/GalN group (d-Mixed-Tocotrienols Group)
v. an alpha-tocopherol and mixed-tocotrienol enriched high fat group + TNF/GalN group (d-Mixed-Tocotrienols and Alpha-Tocopherol Group)

After 4 weeks of supplementation, all the rats (except control group) were administered D-galactosamine (GalN) to induce inflammation, and then injected with Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) thirty minutes later to induce development of fatty liver in the rats. Rats were sacrificed at 2hr or 5hr after TNF-α administration and their arterial blood and liver were collected for analysis.

The results show that supplementation of combined full spectrum d-mixed tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol significantly reduce triglycerides accumulation in the liver; decreased level of lipid peroxides (TBARS); improved hepatic damage markers ALT and AST; as well as inhibiting liver fibrosis, compared to the standalone alpha-tocopherol group or standalone d-mixed tocotrienol group

The researchers concluded that tocotrienol and alpha-tocopherol exert a potent synergistic effect in improving NASH.

“This study shows us that taking both natural full spectrum tocotrienol complex and alpha-tocopherol together help to synergistically improve NASH and support healthy liver,” says Mr. WH Leong, Vice President of Carotech Inc. “The combination of alpha-tocopherol and d-mixed tocotrienols work synergistically and exert better protection for liver, than the standalone pure alpha-tocopherol and pure mixed-tocotrienol”, he added.

“In addition, human study published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2012 showed that tocotrienols (Tocomin SupraBio capsules with d-mixed tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol) improved liver disease score (MELD Score) in patients with end stage liver disease. Another group of researchers in Malaysia also reported that Tocomin SupraBio as significantly effective in addressing fatty liver conditions. Tocomin SupraBio is a bioenhanced absorption formula of naturally occurring mixture of mixed-tocotrienol and alpha-tocopherol. This study from Japan further supports the use of d-mixed tocotrienol/tocopherol complex for liver health” adds Mr. Leong.

Reference: Rieko Yachi, et al. (2013). Effects of tocotrienol on tumor necrosis factor-alpha/D-galactosamine-induced steatohepatitis in rats. J. Clin. Biochem. Nutr. , 52 (2), 146-153.