ForHeart Health, Mixed Tocopherols Superior to Alpha-Tocopherol Alone

ForHeart Health, Mixed Tocopherols Superior to Alpha-Tocopherol Alone

UPPSALA, Sweden--Mixed tocopherols may besuperior at inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and thereby atheroscleroticcardiovascular disease, than alpha-tocopherol alone, according to an in vitrostudy printed in the May issue of the Journal of CardiovascularPharmacology (39, 5:714-21, 2002) (www.cardiovascularpharm.com).Investigators from the University of Uppsala began with the hypothesis thatmixed tocopherols have been linked with preventing cardiovascular disease,although studies utilizing alpha-tocopherol alone have shown little to no effectin clinical trials.

Researchers incubated human erythrocytes (cells in theblood that carry hemoglobin and other gasses through the body) with differentconcentrations of alpha-tocopherol or mixed tocopherols (consisting of gamma-,delta- and alpha-tocopherols) and then exposed them to hydrogen peroxide, whichinduced oxidative damage. The hydrogen peroxide also increased lipidperoxidation and decreased polyunsaturated fatty acids in the erythrocytes.

Through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC),researchers learned that both alpha-tocopherol and the tocopherol mixtureprotected the cells from lipid peroxidation, although the mixture was morepotent than alpha-tocopherol alone. In addition, it was noted that theerythrocytes in the mixed tocopherol solution exhibited increased tocopherolconcentrations, with greater uptake of gamma- and delta-tocopherols than alpha-tocopherol.Researchers concluded that a mixture of tocopherols is more protective againstlipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes than alpha-tocopherol alone, due to thehigher uptake of gamma- and delta-tocopherols in the cells.

When we think of vitamin E, we think of alpha-tocopherol,said Dick Beitel, vice president of sales for Kearny, N.J.-based PharmachemLaboratories Inc. But alpha-tocopherol is only one of eight isomers ofvitamin E. The industry has suddenly started to look at moving from just one ofthe isomers--alpha-tocopherol--to a mixed tocopherol, which is actually alpha-,beta-, delta- and gamma-tocopherol. However, that is only half of the equation.Really to get the total nature of vitamin E, development should continue to goforth to include all eight isomers: alpha-, beta-, delta- and gamma-tocopheroland the same double bond for alpha-, beta-, delta- and gamma-tocotrienol.