The effects of prenatal and early postnatal tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation on cognitive function development in male offspring rats

Abstract

BackgroundRecent findings suggest that the intake of specific nutrients during the critical period in early life influence cognitive and behavioural development profoundly. Antioxidants such as vitamin E have been postulated to be pivotal in this process, as vitamin E is able to protect the growing brain from oxidative stress. Currently tocotrienols are gaining much attention due to their potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. It is thus compelling to look at the effects of prenatal and early postnatal tocotrienols supplementation, on cognition and behavioural development among offsprings of individual supplemented with tocotrienols. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate potential prenatal and early postnatal influence of Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction (TRF) supplementation on cognitive function development in male offspring rats. Eight-week-old adult female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into five groups of two animals each. The animals were fed either with the base diet as control (CTRL), base diet plus vehicle (VHCL), base diet plus docosahexanoic acid (DHA), base diet plus Tocotrienol-Rich fraction (TRF), and base diet plus both docosahexaenoic acid, and tocotrienol rich fraction (DTRF) diets for 2 weeks prior to mating. The females (F0 generation) were maintained on their respective treatment diets throughout the gestation and lactation periods. Pups (F1 generation) derived from these dams were raised with their dams from birth till four weeks post natal. The male pups were weaned at 8 weeks postnatal, after which they were grouped into five groups of 10 animals each, and fed with the same diets as their dams for another eight weeks. Learning and behavioural experiments were conducted only in male off-spring rats using the Morris water maze.Eight-week-old adult female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into five groups of two animals each. The animals were fed either with the base diet as control (CTRL), base diet plus vehicle (VHCL), base diet plus docosahexanoic acid (DHA), base diet plus Tocotrienol-Rich fraction (TRF), and base diet plus both docosahexaenoic acid, and tocotrienol rich fraction (DTRF) diets for 2 weeks prior to mating. The females (F0 generation) were maintained on their respective treatment diets throughout the gestation and lactation periods. Pups (F1 generation) derived from these dams were raised with their dams from birth till four weeks post natal. The male pups were weaned at 8 weeks postnatal, after which they were grouped into five groups of 10 animals each, and fed with the same diets as their dams for another eight weeks. Learning and behavioural experiments were conducted only in male off-spring rats using the Morris water maze.ResultsResults showed that prenatal and postnatal TRF supplementation increased the brain (4–6 fold increase) and plasma α-tocotrienol (0.8 fold increase) levels in male off-springs. There is also notably better cognitive performance based on the Morris water maze test among these male off-springs.ConclusionB...

Effect of Tocotrienol Rich Fraction (TRF) on synaptogenic molecules in aging Caenorhabdis elegans

“…Increased expression of these proteins may enhance synaptic transmission leading to cognitive improvement because tocotrienol uptake in fetal brain has been reported to be high and it promoted long lasting learning ability by influencing the brain development [31]. Based on our results, it can be concluded that TRF treatment increases the expression of proteins involved in synaptic function.…”

α-Tocopherol and Hippocampal Neural Plasticity in Physiological and Pathological Conditions

“…Although able to acquire the task at the end of training, treated rats needed longer to develop a precise spatial preference for the goal, showing longer escape latency and path length respect to non-supplemented controls; in addition, they spent less time swimming in the goal quadrant after platform removal [79]. It is worth mentioning that spatial cognitive performance on MWM was found increased, instead of impaired, in adult offspring from dams supplemented through pregnancy and lactation with tocotrienol-rich fraction (providing 300 and 700 mg/kg of total tocopherols and tocotrienols, respectively), with better escape latency and shorter distance travelled after the third day of training, and increased memory retention at the probe test [102]. We think that such conflicting data is possibly due to different experimental study design by Nagapan et al [102], since high doses of tocotrienols were used for supplementing dams, and supplementation was continued in offspring until they were tested, at 16 weeks postnatal.…”

Effect of Tocotrienol Pretreatment on Ex Vivo Superoxide and Peroxide Handling Capacities (Sphc) of Rat Serum and Brain

“…On the other hand, because of their unsaturated side chain, penetration into brain tissues is easier for TT [8]. Hence, oral supplementation of TT could be effective in protection of the brain against oxidative stress.…”