Tocotrienols and cancer: Beyond antioxidant activity

The edible oil industry has emerged as an important provider of raw material for the extraction of vitamin E. Vegetable oils, especially the seed oils, are rich sources of tocopherols. However, in palm oil, vitamin E occurs as a complex mixture of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Various tocotrienol isomers of vitamin E in palm oil have been reported to possess interesting biological and physiological properties not generally evident with tocopherol-rich vitamin E preparations. They include potential blood cholesterol-lowering and cardioprotective effects, more efficient antioxidant activity in biological systems, and possible anti-cancer and neuroprotective effects. With the emergence of palm oil as the largest edible oil in world markets, technology is now available to extract tocotrienol-rich palm vitamin E. Initiatives in Malaysia to manufacture biodiesel will further generate large amounts of micronutrients, especially tocotrienols, to be available to the nutraceutical and functional food industry.