The Effects of Tocotrienol-Rich Vitamin E (Tocovid) on Diabetic Neuropathy: A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial

Main idea: Combination of Tocotrienol and Rich Vitamin E increases neuron conduction and prevents neuropathy progression.

Abstract: Chronic hyperglycemia increases oxidative stress, activates inflammatory pathways, and reduces nerve growth factor (NGF) among diabetic patients, which contributes to the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Tocotrienol-Rich Vitamin E (Tocovid) possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties which are postulated to target this pathogenesis to ameliorate DPN. This study aims to evaluate the effects of Tocovid on nerve conduction parameters and serum biomarkers among diabetic patients. This multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted on 80 eligible participants. The intervention group (n 39) was randomly allocated to receive 200 mg of Tocovid twice a day, and the control group (n 41) received a placebo twice a day. At the end of eight weeks, the nerve conduction parameters, as assessed by nerve conduction study, as well as serum biomarkers were compared between the two groups. Compared to placebo, Tocovid significantly improves the nerve conduction velocities of all nerves. Meanwhile, the levels of serum NGF were significantly higher in the Tocovid group as compared to placebo at eight weeks post-intervention. Participants receiving Tocovid illustrated highly significant improvement in terms of nerve conduction velocities for all nerves tested after eight weeks of supplementation. Also, Tocovid supplementation elevated the levels of serum NGF, in which its increase is postulated to reflect enhanced neuronal functions. This novel finding suggests that Tocovid could be a disease-modifying agent targeting serum NGF to improve nerve conduction velocities.

Source MDPI