Arterial compliance and vitamin E blood levels with a self emulsifying preparation of tocotrienol rich vitamin E

The tocotrienol vitamin E has potent antioxidant property, however absorption is low due to high lipid solubility. A self emulsifying preparation of tocotrienol rich vitamin E (SF-TRE) had been reported to increase their bioavailability. This randomized, placebo controlled, blinded end point clinical study aimed to determine the effects of 50, 100 and 200 mg daily of SF-TRE and placebo for two months on arterial compliance and vitamin E blood levels. Assessment of arterial compliance by carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI), plasma vitamin E, serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were taken before and after 2 months' treatment in 36 healthy males. Un-supplemented tocotrienol levels were low, after treatment, all SF-TRE treated groups had significantly higher plasma alpha, delta and delta tocotrienol concentrations compared to placebo. Augmentation index change from baseline to end of treatment for groups placebo, 50, 100, and 200 mg were 2.22 +/- 1.54, -6.59 +/- 2.84, -8.72 +/- 3.77, and -6.27 +/- 2.67% respectively (p = 0.049, 0.049, and 0.047 respectively). Groups 100 and 200 mg showed significant improvement after treatment with pulse wave velocity reductions of 0.77 m/s and 0.65 m/s respectively (p = 0.007 and p = 0.002). There was no effect of SF-TRE on serum lipids. We conclude that there was a trend towards improvement in arterial compliance with 2 months' of SF-TRE.