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Supplementation of tocotrienol‐rich fraction increases interferon‐gamma production in ovalbumin‐immunized mice
Author(s) -
Nesaretnam Kalanithi,
Mahalingam Dashayini,
Radhakrishnan Ammu Kutty,
Premier Robert
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european journal of lipid science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.614
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1438-9312
pISSN - 1438-7697
DOI - 10.1002/ejlt.200900193
Subject(s) - ovalbumin , immune system , splenocyte , vitamin e , tocotrienol , antioxidant , corn oil , stimulation , immunology , interleukin , endocrinology , chemistry , medicine , biology , tocopherol , cytokine , biochemistry
Palm oil is a rich source of vitamin E. The tocotrienol‐rich fraction (TRF) extracted from palm oil contain 70% tocotrienols and 30% tocopherols. The effect of TRF supplementation on the immune modulation was evaluated in 6‐wk‐old female BALB/c mice immunized with ovalbumin (OVA) adjuvanted with alum. Mice in control and experimental groups were immunized subcutaneously (s.c.) on days 14 and 28 with a single dose of 50 µg OVA. The mice in the experimental group were orally gavaged daily with 1 mg of TRF from palm oil while those in the control group received carrier oil. The results show that mice in the experimental group produced significantly ( p <0.05) higher levels of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) compared to the control group. There was no significant ( p >0.05) difference in the levels of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) produced between the control and experimental animals. Lymphocyte proliferation in response to mitogen or OVA stimulation was significantly ( p <0.05) higher in splenocytes derived from the TRF supplemented mice compared to control mice. These findings show that daily supplementation of palm TRF can induce a strong cell‐mediated immune response, i.e ., T‐helper‐1 (Th1) response, which would be beneficial to fight viral infections and cancer.