Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017;63(4):215-221.
doi: 10.3177/jnsv.63.215.

Advances in Genetic Improvement for Tocotrienol Production: A Review

Sulaiman Rufai Babura  1   2 , Siti Nor Akmar Abdullah  1   3 , Huzwah Khaza Ai  4
Affiliations
Free article
Review

Advances in Genetic Improvement for Tocotrienol Production: A Review

Sulaiman Rufai Babura et al. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2017.
Free article

Abstract

Tocotrienols are forms of vitamin E that are present in several important food crops. Compared to tocopherols, less research has been conducted on these compounds because of their low bioavailability and distribution in plant tissues. Both tocotrienols and tocopherols are known for their antioxidant and anticancer activities, which are beneficial for both humans and animals. Moreover, tocotrienols possess certain properties which are not found in tocopherols, such as neuroprotective and cholesterol-lowering activities. The contents of tocotrienols in plants vary. Tocotrienols constitute more than 70% and tocopherols less than 30% of the total vitamin E content in palm oil, which is the best source of vitamin E. Accumulation of tocotrienols also occurs in non-photosynthetic tissues, such as the seeds, fruits and latex of some monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant species. The use of biotechnological techniques to increase the tocotrienol content in plants, their biological functions, and benefits to human health are discussed in this review.

Keywords: anticancer; cholesterol-lowering; neuroprotective ability; tocopherols; tocotrienols.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by