Vitamin E: function and metabolism

Brigelius‐Flohé, Regina; Traber, Maret G.

doi:10.1096/fasebj.13.10.1145

Cited by 1,341 publications

(879 citation statements)

References 103 publications

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“…Tocotrienols also exist in four different forms designated by the same four Greek letters. The most abundant and biologically active tocopherol form in nature is a-tocopherol (Brigelius-Floh and Traber, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reevaluation of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows: bioavailability, animal health and milk quality

Politis

2012

Animal

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Although vitamin E has been known as an essential nutrient for almost 80 years, we are far from a complete understanding of all the aspects related to bioavailability and its effects on health and milk quality in dairy cows. Vitamin E is a generic descriptor for two families of lipid-soluble compounds, the tocopherols and the tocotrienols, of which a-tocopherol has the highest biological activity. Commercially available a-tocopherol supplements for dairy cows contain either the natural RRR form or the synthetic (all-rac) form, which contains all the eight possible stereoisomers (four possessing the 2R and four possessing the 2S configuration) in equimolar amounts. Recent data clearly suggest that an almost complete discrimination against the 2S isomers occurs in dairy cows. Thus, 1 g of the all-rac form is essentially equivalent to 0.5 g of the RRR form. With respect to the effect of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows on health and milk quality, the majority of published studies suggests that vitamin E supplementation at the level 1000 to 4000 IU/cow per day during the dry period reduces both the frequency of intramammary infection and that of clinical mastitis and improves milk quality, as shown by a reduction in the levels of somatic cell count (SCC)/ml in milk, decreased plasmin activity and increased oxidative stability of milk. However, a recent study from the Netherlands suggested that vitamin E supplementation at the 3000 IU/cow per day level during the dry period when combined with high levels of plasma vitamin E at dry-off (.14.5 mmol/l) increases the incidence of mastitis. Data from previously unpublished survey studies and those from published vitamin E feeding trials, in which high levels of blood vitamin E were observed, were reanalyzed. All farms selected for the analysis implemented oral administration of vitamin E at the 3000 IU/cow per day level throughout or during the late dry period (4 weeks before the expected day of parturition). Dairy cows were divided into three groups, depending on blood a-tocopherol levels at dry-off: high (.6.25 mg/ml), medium (between 6.25 and 4.25 mg/ml) and low (,4.25 mg/ml). Data indicate that there were no differences in the incidence of mastitis and in the level of SCC/ml of milk between the three groups. Thus, supplementation of 3000 IU vitamin E/cow per day in the late dry period remains recommended because it is generally associated with decreased risk of mastitis. Conditional or opposite effects have not been repeated and require further research before changing recommendations for vitamin E supplementation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reevaluation of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows: bioavailability, animal health and milk quality

Politis

2012

Animal

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“…It has been attributed important functions in metabolism, and thus, it might act as an indicator of male “quality” (Martín, Chamut, Manes, & López, 2011; Weldon et al., 2008); (6) α‐tocopherol (i.e., vitamin E), usually found in lizard species in high proportions. It is believed to have antioxidant properties, protecting other compounds in secretions (Brigelius‐Flohe & Traber, 1999; Wolf, Wolf, & Ruocco, 1998). Also, high levels of α‐tocopherol are linked to the quality of lizards, and therefore, it has been assigned an important role during competition over sexual mates (Kopena et al., 2011); (7) cholestanol, commonly found in lacertids, and thought to be related with healthy body condition (Weldon et al., 2008); and (8) cholesta‐5,7‐dien‐3‐ol, a steroid present in some lizard species, it is the precursor of vitamin D 3 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Heterogeneous tempo and mode of evolutionary diversification of compounds in lizard chemical signals

García‐Roa

Jara

López

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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Important part of the multivariate selection shaping social and interspecific interactions among and within animal species emerges from communication. Therefore, understanding the diversification of signals for animal communication is a central endeavor in evolutionary biology. Over the last decade, the rapid development of phylogenetic approaches has promoted a stream of studies investigating evolution of communication signals. However, comparative research has primarily focused on visual and acoustic signals, while the evolution of chemical signals remains largely unstudied. An increasing interest in understanding the evolution of chemical communication has been inspired by the realization that chemical signals underlie some of the major interaction channels in a wide range of organisms. In lizards, in particular, chemosignals play paramount roles in female choice and male–male competition, and during community assembly and speciation. Here, using phylogenetic macro‐evolutionary modeling, we show for the very first time that multiple compounds of scents for communication in lizards have diversified following highly different evolutionary speeds and trajectories. Our results suggest that cholesterol, α‐tocopherol, and cholesta‐5,7‐dien‐3‐ol have been subject to stabilizing selection (Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model), whereas the remaining compounds are better described by Brownian motion modes of evolution. Additionally, the diversification of the individual compounds has accumulated substantial relative disparity over time. Thus, our study reveals that the chemical components of lizard chemosignals have proliferated across different species following compound‐specific directions.

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“…Our results might indicate the importance of RRR-α-tocopherol stereoisomer, which is preferentially incorporated by piglets born from sows supplemented with the natural form, to control the oxidative stress. Brigelius-Flohé and Traber (1999) reported highly different biological activities between stereoisomers, explained by differences in absorption based on the rat resorption gestation test. However, other compounds affected by the vitamin E supplementation form may participate to control the oxidative status of newborn piglets.…”

Section: Piglet Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of oral micellized natural vitamin E (d-α-tocopherol) v. synthetic vitamin E (dl-α-tocopherol) in feed on α-tocopherol levels, stereoisomer distribution, oxidative stress and the immune response in piglets

Amazán

Cordero

López‐Bote

et al. 2014

Animal

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This study evaluated the strategy of supplementing oral micellized natural vitamin E (D-α-tocopherol) to either piglets and/or sows on α-tocopherol concentrations in piglets serum and tissues after weaning. One first experiment tested the influence of the vitamin E supplementation source (natural form in water v. the synthetic form in feed) and dose administered to piglets and/or sows on serum α-tocopherol concentration, α-tocopherol stereoisomer accumulation, antioxidant capacity and immune response of weaned piglets. A second experiment studied the effect of sow source and dose vitamin E supplementation on some of these parameters in piglets. Oral supplementation to sows with natural vitamin E as a micellized form (D-α-tocopherol) at the lowest dose produced a similar concentration of α-tocopherol in serum at days 2, 14 and 28 postpartum to those supplemented with threefold higher dose of the synthetic form in feed. At day 39 of age, neither piglet supplementation source nor dose significantly affected α-tocopherol accumulation in the serum, muscle, subcutaneous fat or liver. Those piglets from sows supplemented with the micellized alcohol form had higher RRR-α-tocopherol stereoisomers (P < 0.001) and lower (P < 0.001) RRS-RSS-and RSR-α-tocopherol, at day 39 of age than those from sows supplemented with the synthetic form. A predominant importance of sow over piglet vitamin E supplementation was observed on stereoisomer distribution in piglets. Low doses of oral natural vitamin E supplementation to sows or piglets did not increase the oxidative stress of piglets when compared with the use of the synthetic form in feed. Immunoglobulin levels in piglet serum at day 39 were not affected by natural vitamin E supplementation at low doses in drinking water of piglets or sows when compared with the synthetic form in feed. IgA tended to be higher (P = 0.145) at day 39 in piglets supplemented with natural vitamin E when compared with those supplemented with the synthetic form. Low doses of oral micellized natural vitamin E supplementation to sows is an interesting feeding strategy, when compared with the use of high doses of the synthetic form in feed, because it results in similar α-tocopherol concentrations, allows a predominant -R stereoisomer distribution in piglets and also maintains their oxidative status in vivo.Keywords: immune response, micellized natural α-tocopherol, oxidative status, sows and piglets, stereoisomers ImplicationsThe natural form of vitamin E is preferentially accumulated by sows and piglets. In the present study, we show that micellized D-α-tocopherol added to sows in water at threefold lower doses than the synthetic form (DL-α-tocopherol) in feed allows to reach similar α-tocopherol concentration and a predominant -R stereoisomer distribution in piglets. The present paper contributes to better understanding the oral natural vitamin E needs of the sow and piglets during gestation and lactation period.

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Vitamin E: function and metabolism

Cited by 1,341 publications

References 103 publications

Reevaluation of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows: bioavailability, animal health and milk quality

Reevaluation of vitamin E supplementation of dairy cows: bioavailability, animal health and milk quality

Heterogeneous tempo and mode of evolutionary diversification of compounds in lizard chemical signals

Effects of oral micellized natural vitamin E (d-α-tocopherol) v. synthetic vitamin E (dl-α-tocopherol) in feed on α-tocopherol levels, stereoisomer distribution, oxidative stress and the immune response in piglets

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