Newresearchconducted by a group of researchers from Faculty of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia and Menoufia Medical School, Egypt demonstrates the potential of palm-based tocotrienols as as a neuroprotective and antioxidant agent in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion-induced neurodegeneration. Researchers used rats that received 2-vessel occlusion (2VO) which induces neuronal cell death in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex and has the same structures affected during progressive neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s patients. They separated them into two groups, treated and untreated and had a third sham control that received placebo surgeries. The treated group received 100 mg/kg palm tocotrienol mixture (EVNol™) supplied by ExcelVite for 8 weeks.

Results showed, following histopathological examination in the region of hippocampus, that the treated group and sham control group has similar characteristics in neural cells and demonstrated less neuronal cell damage than the untreated group. Levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation were also measured, specifically F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs). The untreated group had the highest concentration of this biomarker while the treated group had significantly lower levels.

"Although antioxidants act as nonspecific neuroprotectants and do not target specific pathological events, they are highly effective, and further investigations may lead to a more effective application of antioxidants," write the researchers. "It will be of interest to know how antioxidants can interfere with signal transduction mechanisms. As long as specific interventions are not available, vitamin E tocotrienol could play an important role in the prevention and remedy of OS-induced conditions including [Alzheimer’s]. What is striking is that this neuroprotective effect was exhibited by a nutrient known to be safe for human consumption."

"This study adds to the compelling body of science on the effectiveness of tocotrienols in neuroprotection and is in line with past research studies using EVNol™ / EVNol SupraBio™ vis a vis attenuation of white matter lesions, an independent risk factor for stroke (pre-stroke) and reducing stroke-induced injuries (post-stroke)," says Ms. Diyanah Roslan, Nutritionist at ExcelVite, in a press release.