Plasma vitamin C and tocotrienols changes in response to dietary supplementation among young male adults.
OBJECTIVE
Intake of the antioxidant vitamins C and E lowers the oxidative stress. The study aimed to determine plasma concentrations of vitamin C and tocotrienols after supplementation of both vitamins in young male adults.


METHODS
A total of 64 police recruits were randomly assigned to one of these groups: (a) 500 mg vitamin C (Vitamin C), (b) 200 mg Tocovid (Tocotrienol), (c) combination of 500 mg vitamin C and 200 mg Tocovid (Combination) or (d) placebo (Placebo) for eight-weeks of supplementation followed by six-week washout period.


RESULTS
In Combination group, mean plasma vitamin C concentration significantly increased from baseline 2.86 +/- 1.19 mg/L to 10.37 +/- 1.29 mg/L and 15.63 +/- 1.27 mg/L after four- and eight-week supplementation, respectively. The corresponding figures for alpha-, delta- and gamma-tocotrienols were 9.9 +/- 2.5 ng/ml to 104.1 +/- 19.8 ng/ml and 112.8 +/- 38.0 ng/ml; 2.5 +/- 0.9 ng/ml to 29.9 +/- 7.0 ng/ml and 17.9 +/- 4.7 ng/ml; 19.2 +/- 3.1 ng/ml to 75.2 +/- 24.1 ng/ml and 161.7 +/- 49.9 ng/ml, respectively. In Vitamin C group, plasma vitamin C concentrations were significantly increased. Conversely, concentration of plasma vitamin C in Tocotrienol group increased from baseline of 2.72 +/- 0.20 mg/L to 6.80 +/- 0.63 mg/L and 8.9 +/- 0.77 mg/L respectively. Plasma concentrations of alpha-, delta- and gamma-tocotrienols in this group were significantly elevated. After 6-week washout period, all the elevated concentrations returned to basal levels.


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed a good bioavailability of these vitamins and increment due to supplementation.
Zahara
A M
AM
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. zaharamanaf@yahoo.com
Lee
C C
CC
Fatimah
I Siti
IS
Poh
B K
BK
Khairul
O
O
Das
S
S
Mohamad
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D002839:Chromans; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024508:Tocotrienols / Q000097:blood*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
D002839:Chromans; D024508:Tocotrienols; D014815:Vitamins; D014810:Vitamin E; C013649:plastochromanol 8; D001205:Ascorbic Acid