Cereal alkylresorcinols elevate gamma-tocopherol levels in rats and inhibit gamma-tocopherol metabolism in vitro.
Alkylresorcinols (AR) are a class of amphiphilic phenolic lipids present in high amounts in wheat and rye bran. They have been reported to be both growth retarding and innocuous when fed to rats, and to have a broad range of bioactivities in vitro, suggested to be related to their ability to bind to proteins and modify membranes. This study was designed to test the effects of AR (purified from rye bran) on growth, tocopherol levels, and cholesterol levels in rats. Rats were fed 1 of 4 different levels of AR for 4 wk: 0 (control), 1, 2, and 4 g/kg diet. AR did not affect final body, liver, or lung weights. The AR diets increased the levels of gamma-tocopherol in liver and lungs (P < 0.05). To investigate whether AR could have increased gamma-tocopherol levels via inhibition of tocopherol-omega-hydroxylase, HepG2 cells were incubated with AR and the metabolism of gamma-tocopherol measured. AR significantly inhibited the conversion of gamma-tocopherol to its water-soluble hydroxychroman metabolite in vitro, indicating that AR may increase gamma-tocopherol levels via inhibition of tocopherol metabolism in vivo. The 4 g AR/kg diet decreased liver cholesterol (P < 0.001), but did not affect plasma lipids. AR were detected in the perirenal adipose tissue samples of rats fed AR, indicating that they can accumulate in the fatty tissues of rats. High levels of dietary AR moderately affect gamma-tocopherol, possibly via inhibition of tocopherol metabolism, and decrease liver cholesterol in rats.
Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. Alastair.Ross@lmv.slu.se
Alastair B
AB
Ross
Yan
Y
Chen
Jan
J
Frank
Joy E
JE
Swanson
Robert S
RS
Parker
Arkadiusz
A
Kozubek
Torbjörn
T
Lundh
Bengt
B
Vessby
Per
P
Aman
Afaf
A
Kamal-Eldin
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D004032:Diet; D002523:Edible Grain; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012118:Resorcinols / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D000975:Antioxidants; D012118:Resorcinols; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C479073:tocopherol-omega-hydroxylase