Tocotrienols

Category: vitamin

Aliases: Annatto tocotrienols, Palm tocotrienols, δ-T3 / γ-T3, Unsaturated vitamin E

Pharmacological Mechanism

Tocotrienols differ from tocopherols by an unsaturated isoprenoid side chain, which gives better membrane penetration but lower affinity for α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP) — so plasma t½ is short (~3–5 h) vs α-tocopherol (~20 h). δ-Tocotrienol is the most bioactive isomer for HMG-CoA reductase suppression (post-translational degradation of the enzyme), lipoprotein(a) lowering, and NF-κB inhibition. Co-administration with α-tocopherol interferes with tocotrienol absorption — annatto-sourced (α-tocopherol-free) extracts are preferred.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 4h

Dosing Guidelines

Target Organ Systems

Interactions