Open AccessVitamin E family: Role in the pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Author(s) -
Boccardi Virginia,
Baroni Marta,
Mangialasche Francesca,
Mecocci Patrizia
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia: translational research and clinical interventions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.49
H-Index - 30
ISSN - 2352-8737
DOI - 10.1016/j.trci.2016.08.002
Subject(s) - vitamin e , observational study , neuroprotection , disease , tocotrienol , medicine , cognition , tocopherol , clinical trial , pathogenesis , alzheimer's disease , bioinformatics , animal studies , antioxidant , psychology , psychiatry , biology , biochemistry
Vitamin E family, composed by tocopherols and tocotrienols, is a group of compounds with neuroprotective properties. The exact role in the pathogenesis and the benefit of vitamin E as treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are still under debate. Methods A literature search in PubMed, Medline, and Cochrane databases has been carried out. All types of studies, from bench and animal models to clinical, were included. Results High plasma vitamin E levels are associated with better cognitive performance, even if clear evidence of their ability to prevent or delay cognitive decline in AD is still lacking. Each vitamin E form is functionally unique and shows specific biological functions. Tocotrienols seem to have superior antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties compared with tocopherols. Discussion The benefit of vitamin E as a treatment for AD is still under debate, mainly because of the inconsistent findings from observational studies and the methodological limitations of clinical trials.