Endogenous Plasma α-Tocopherol Concentration Indicates Human Health Condition

Abstract

The level of endogenous α-tocopherol concentration in plasma of fifty-eight smokers and non-smoking healthy male volunteers, two lung cancer patients, and forty-six healthy volunteers (five males and nine females as control and the rest with vitamin E supplement in the dosage of 100, 200 or 400 IU/D, respectively), were quantified by the developed HPLC method. It was found that in healthy condition, endogenous plasma α-tocopherol level of either smokers or non-smokers were still within the optimal of 7.0 – 19.0 µg/ml. In severe health condition, such as lung cancer patients, the average endogenous plasma α-tocopherol concentration was only 5.0 µg/ml. Vitamin E supplement of 200 and 400 IU/D could significantly improve plasma α-tocopherol level to 11.0 – 26.0 µg/ml and 16.0 – 31.0 µg/ml, respectively. They were significantly higher than the control group (p = 0.007). However, plasma α-tocopherol  concentration of volunteer with 400 IU daily up taken vitamin E was not significantly higher than those administered vitamin E 200 IU/day (p = 0.095). No statistically significant difference of endogenous plasma α-tocopherol between the control group (7.5 – 17.6 µg/ml) and those with vitamin E 100 IU/D (9.9 – 19.6 µg/ml) was observed (p = 0.317). For 100 IU/D of vitamin E supplement, plasma α-tocopherol concentration did not increase significantly but only maintained within the optimal range. Therefore, it would be confirmed that the level of endogenous plasma α-tocopherol concentration of each individual could possibly be used as an additional parameter for indicating health condition.