title: Daily supplementation of tocotrienol-rich fraction or alpha-tocopherol did not induce immunomodulatory changes in healthy human volunteers.
abstract: Vitamin E is divided into two subgroups; tocopherols and tocotrienols. Both have protective roles in biological systems. The present study was conducted to compare the effect of short-term supplementation at 200 mg/d of either alpha-tocopherol or a tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) from palm oil on immune modulation and plasma vitamin E levels in normal healthy Asian volunteers. In a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted, fifty-three healthy volunteers aged 20-50 years were recruited based on the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly assigned into three groups, i.e. two experimental groups that received daily supplementation at 200 mg of either alpha-tocopherol or the TRF, and the control group that received a placebo. Blood was drawn on days 0, 28 and 56 for several laboratory analyses. Differences in the production of IL-4 or interferon-gamma by concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes isolated from these volunteers were not significant (P>0.05). There were no significant differences observed in immune parameters between the healthy volunteers who received daily supplementation with either alpha-tocopherol or the TRF. As these observations were made in the absence of any immunogenic challenge, we feel it would be of benefit to study if there would be any differences observed when an immunogenic challenge such as vaccination were introduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, International Medical University, 126, Jalan 19/155B, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ammu_radhakrishnan@imu.edu.my
authors.forename: Ammu K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.forename: Ai-Ling
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Pak-Fong
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Jagmohni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Htin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: Kalanithi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nesaretnam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils; D024508:Tocotrienols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008934:Mitogens; D010938:Plant Oils; D024508:Tocotrienols; D003208:Concanavalin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D015847:Interleukin-4; D000073878:Palm Oil; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol