RESPONSE OF HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC SUBJECTS TO ADMINISTRATION OF TOCOTRIENOLS

The cholesterol-suppressive actions of Palmvitee and gamma-tocotrienol were assessed in hypercholesterolemic subjects after acclimation to t he American Heart Association Step 1 dietary regimen for four and eigh t weeks, respectively. The four-week dietary regimen alone elicited a 5% decrease (P < 0.05) in the cholesterol level of the 36 subjects. Su bjects continuing on the dietary regimen for a second four-week period experienced an additional 2% decrease in their cholesterol levels. Di etary assessments based on unanticipated recalls of 24-h food intake r ecords suggest that significant reductions in energy and fat, predomin antly in saturated far, intakes are responsible. The subjects experien ced significant Palmvitee- and gamma-tocotrienol-mediated decreases in cholesterol. The group of subjects acclimated to the dietary regimen for four weeks responded to Palmvitee (a blend of tocols providing 40 mg alpha-tocopherol, 48 mg alpha-tocotrienol, 112 mg gamma-tocotrienol , and 60 mg delta-tocotrienol/day for four weeks) with a 10% decrease in cholesterol (P < 0.05). Dietary assessments showed no further chang e in energy and fat intakes. alpha-Tocopherol attenuates the cholester ol-suppressive action of the tocotrienols. The second group of subject s, acclimated to the dietary regimen for eight weeks, received 200 mg gamma-tocotrienol/d for four weeks. The cholesterol-suppressive potenc y of this alpha-tocopherol-free preparation was calculated to be equiv alent to that of the mixture of tocotrienols (220 mg) used in the prio r study. Cholesterol levels of the 16 subjects in the second group dec reased 13% (P < 0.05) during the four-week trial. Plasma apolipoprotei n B and ex vivo generation of thromboxane B-2 were similarly responsiv e to the tocotrienol preparations, whereas neither preparation had an impact on high density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels.