Effect of Tocotrienol Rich Fraction (TRF) On Muscles Reinnervation After Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury In Rats

@#Introduction: Muscle denervation is a process where muscles lose nerve supply due to neural damage and this may lead to paralysis in human. Muscle denervation is mainly caused by peripheral nerve injuries especially in the lower extremities that resulted in devastating effect on human daily functions and routines. Tocotrienol Rich Fraction (TRF) consist of 75% of tocotrienols have shown potential neuroprotective properties. The objective of this study is to observe motor coordination and histological characteristics on muscles that underwent sciatic nerve crush injury and supplemented with TRF. Methods: A total of 104 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups; normal group (n=8) with no sciatic nerve crush injury, negative control (n=32) with sciatic nerve crush injury at hindlimb without treatment, positive control (n=32) sciatic nerve crush injury treated with 500 µg/kg/day of methylcobalamin, and experimental group (n=32) of rats that underwent sciatic nerve crush injury and treated with 200 mg/kg/day of TRF. Result: Skeletal muscles which located at hind limb; Soleus Muscle and Extenstor Digitorum Longus Muscle (EDL) muscle have shown an increasing in weight when it is supplemented with TRF 200 mg/kg/day and improved myelin layer of nerve. Conclusion: This study showed that TRF has the potency to improve reinnervation rate and neuron supply in hind muscle.

Tocotrienol-rich Palm Oil Extract Induces NAD(P)H:quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) Expression in Mice Liver.

A diet rich in tocotrienols has been shown to be beneficial for health. However, its detailed mechanism of action is still not fully understood. NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is important in cellular defence due to its ability to detoxify reactive quinones and quinoneimines to their less toxic hydroquinones forms. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of different doses of palm oil-derived tocotrienol rich fraction (palm TRF) supplementation on NQO1 gene and protein expression in mice livers. Western blot and qPCR assays were used to detect NQO1 expression levels. It was found that palm TRF significantly induced NQO1 expression at all doses given. In conclusion, palm TRF treatment increased NQO1 gene and protein expression in mice liver dose dependently, with the highest expression seen in mice treated with 1000 mg/kg palm TRF, followed by 500 and 200 mg/kg respectively.

Evaluation of the protective effects of tocotrienol-rich fraction from palm oil on the dentate gyrus following chronic restraint stress in rats

Exposure to chronic restraint stress has been shown to cause a number of morphological changes in the hippocampal formation of rats. Tocotrienol, an isoform of vitamin E, exhibits numerous health benefits, different from those of tocopherol. Recent studies have demonstrated that tocotrienol prevents stress-induced changes in the gastric mucosa, thus indicating that it may also protect other organs such as the brain from the damaging effects of stress. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) extracted from palm oil on the dentate gyrus of rats following exposure to chronic restraint stress. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, stress, tocotrienol and combination of stress and tocotrienol. Animals were stressed by restraining them for 5 hours every day for 21 consecutive days. TRF was administered via oral gavage at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight. Our results showed that the plasma corticosterone level was significantly increased in response to stress, compared to the control. The results confirmed previous findings that chronic restraint stress suppresses cellular proliferation and reduces granule cell number in the dentate gyrus. However, TRF supplementation failed to prevent or minimize these stress-induced changes. Therefore, we conclude that TRF at the current dosage is not effective in preventing the morphological changes in the dentate gyrus induced by chronic restraint stress.

A exposição crônica ao estresse por restrição causa série de alterações morfológicas na formação do hipocampo de ratos. Tocotrienol, uma isoforma da vitamina E, apresenta inúmeros benefícios para a saúde, diferente do tocoferol. Estudos recentes demonstraram que o tocotrienol impediu alterações induzidas por estresse na mucosa gástrica, indicando, assim, a possibilidade de que ele pode, também, proteger outros órgãos, como o cérebro, dos efeitos nocivos do estresse. Dessa forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar o efeito protetor da fração rica em tocotrienol (TRF), extraída do óleo de palma, no giro denteado após exposição crônica ao estresse por restrição. Trinta e seis ratos machos Sprague Dawley foram divididos em quatro grupos: controle, estresse, tocotrienol e combinação de estresse e tocotrienol. Os animais foram estressados por restrição, 5 horas por dia, durante 21 dias consecutivos. TRF foi administrado por gavagem oral na dose de 200 mg/kg de peso corporal. Nossos resultados mostraram que o nível de corticosterona plasmática foi significativamente aumentado em resposta ao estresse em comparação ao controle. Os resultados confirmam os achados anteriores de que o estresse por restrição suprime a proliferação celular e reduz o número de células granulares do giro denteado. No entanto, a suplementação de TRF foi ineficaz para evitar ou minimizar as alterações induzidas por estresse. Assim, concluímos que TRF na dose corrente não é efetiva para prevenir as alterações morfológicas no giro denteado induzida por estresse crônico por restrição.

Antioxidant enzyme activity and malondialdehyde levels can be modulated by Piper betle, tocotrienol rich fraction and Chlorella vulgaris in aging C57BL/6 mice

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and the superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and plasma malondialdehyde levels in aging mice and to evaluate how these measures are modulated by potential antioxidants, including the tocotrienol-rich fraction, Piper betle, and Chlorella vulgaris. METHOD: One hundred and twenty male C57BL/6 inbred mice were divided into three age groups: young (6 months old), middle-aged (12 months old), and old (18 months old). Each age group consisted of two control groups (distilled water and olive oil) and three treatment groups: Piper betle (50 mg/kg body weight), tocotrienol-rich fraction (30 mg/kg), and Chlorella vulgaris (50 mg/kg). The duration of treatment for all three age groups was two months. Blood was withdrawn from the orbital sinus to determine the antioxidant enzyme activity and the malondialdehyde level. RESULTS: Piper betle increased the activities of catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the young, middle, and old age groups, respectively, when compared to control. The tocotrienol-rich fraction decreased the superoxide dismutase activity in the middle and the old age groups but had no effect on catalase or glutathione peroxidase activity for all age groups. Chlorella vulgaris had no effect on superoxide dismutase activity for all age groups but increased glutathione peroxidase and decreased catalase activity in the middle and the young age groups, respectively. Chlorella vulgaris reduced lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde levels) in all age groups, but no significant changes were observed with the tocotrienol-rich fraction and the Piper betle treatments. CONCLUSION: We found equivocal age-related changes in erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity when mice were treated with Piper betle, the tocotrienol-rich fraction, and Chlorella vulgaris. However, Piper betle treatment showed increased antioxidant enzymes activity during aging.

The effects of palm oil tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation on biochemical parameters, oxidative stress and the vascular wall of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of palm oil tocotrienol-rich fractions on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Animals were divided into three groups: (i) normal non-diabetic (NDM), (ii) diabetic treated (tocotrienol-rich fractions - TRF) and (iii) diabetic untreated (non-TRF). The treatment group received oral administration of tocotrienol-rich fractions (200 mg/kg body weight) daily for eight weeks. The normal non-diabetic and the diabetic untreated groups were fed standard rat feed. Blood glucose and lipid profiles, oxidative stress markers and morphological changes of the thoracic aorta were evaluated. RESULTS: Tocotrienol-rich fractions treatment reduced serum glucose and glycated hemoglobin concentrations. The tocotrienol-rich fractions group also showed significantly lower levels of plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, as compared to the untreated group. The tocotrienol-rich fractions group had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as compared to the untreated group. Superoxide dismutase activity and levels of vitamin C in plasma were increased in tocotrienol-rich fractions-treated rats. The levels of plasma and aorta malondealdehyde + 4-hydroxynonenal (MDA + 4-HNE) and oxidative DNA damage were significant following tocotrienol-rich fractions treatment. Electron microscopic examination showed that the normal morphology of the thoracic aorta was disrupted in STZ-diabetic rats. Tocotrienol-rich fractions supplementation resulted in a protective effect on the vessel wall. CONCLUSION: These results show that tocotrienol-rich fractions lowers the blood glucose level and improves dyslipidemia. Levels of oxidative stress markers were also reduced by administration of tocotrienol-rich fractions. Vessel wall integrity was maintained due to the positive effects mediated by tocotrienol-rich fractions.