Effects of a Supplement Derived From Palm Oil on Cholesterol Levels in the Blood (TRF)

January 23, 2019 updated by: Zhaoping Li, University of California, Los Angeles

Effects of a Tocotrienol-Enriched Fraction of Palm Oil on Serum Lipids in Hypercholesterolemic Subjects

Elevated blood cholesterol, and particularly LDL cholesterol, is a risk factor for heart disease. Tocotrienols are naturally-occurring compounds in foods that may have beneficial effects on blood cholesterol. Tocotrienols are members of the vitamin E family, and are found in barley, oats, rye, coconut oil and rice bran oil, but the richest source of tocotrienols is palm oil. Certain of these tocotrienols have been shown to be effective in lowering LDL (or 'bad') cholesterol, with no adverse effects on the HDL (or 'good') cholesterol. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of a palm-oil derived tocotrienol supplement on blood cholesterol, and particularly LDL cholesterol, in individuals who are taking statins, and have either elevated or normal cholesterol levels. Study subjects will consume a palm-oil derived supplement of tocotrienol for 3 months to determine its effects on LDL cholesterol.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Both tocotrienols and tocopherols, whose derivatives are in eight different isoforms, are closely related structurally. Tocopherols are generally present in common vegetable oils (i.e. soy, canola). However, tocotrienols are concentrated in cereal grains (ie. oat, barley, and rye, rice bran), with the highest level found in crude palm oil. The development of new cholesterol-lowering agents has been given more and more attention by pharmaceutical companies due to the strong relationship between cholesterol and atherosclerosis. Tocotrienols, especially δ- and γ-tocotrienols, were shown to be effective nutritional agents to treat high cholesterol in recent research programs. In particular, γ-tocotrienol appears to inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase at a posttranscriptional level and there is some evidence that tocopherols antagonize this effect. Therefore, the current study is designed to demonstrate that treatment with a tocotrienol-enriched fraction of palm oil for a three month period will lead to a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol with no effect on HDL cholesterol in patients whose cholesterol level is not adequately controlled in spite of statins. This objective will be achieved utilizing a simple three arm randomized placebo-controlled trial in a total of 99 subjects After acclimation to a step I AHA diet and no supplemental vitamin E in the diet, subjects will be given either a placebo capsule or a tocotrienol (120mg or 240mg) capsule in addition to their statin medications

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
13

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095
        • UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, 900 Veteran Avenue, WH 14-187

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

35 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Able to read, speak, and understand English
  • Male or female, 35-70 years old (inclusive)
  • Total Fasting Plasma Cholesterol of >180 mg/dl
  • Currently taking statin medications.
  • Willing to maintain AHA Step 1 diet for the duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any subject who is taking vitamin E supplements or taking any antibiotics or other medication or dietary supplement which could interfere with the action of tocotrienols.
  • Any subject who is taking cholesterol lowering medications other than statins.
  • Any subject who has lost >5% of their body weight during the past 3 months.
  • Any subjects with a history of gastrointestinal surgery, diabetes mellitus, or other serious medical condition, such as chronic hepatitis or renal disease, bleeding disorder, congestive heart disease, chronic diarrhea disorders, myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, angioplasty within 6 months prior to screening, current diagnosis of uncontrolled hypertension (defined as BP >160mmHg, diastolic BP>95mmHg), active or chronic gastrointestinal disorders, bulimia, anorexia, laxative abuse, or endocrine diseases (except thyroid disease requiring medication) as indicated by medical history or routine physical examination.
  • Major surgery within 12 weeks prior to subject randomization and/or screening, especially cardiac surgery
  • Is currently a smoker who has a therapeutic plan to quit smoking anytime during the study period; or if not a current smoker, has quit smoking within the past 3 months.
  • Known HIV positive or known immunocompromised condition (e.g. MV, organ transplantation, treatment with immunosuppressant medications).
  • Clinical evidence of current malignancy with the exception of basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
  • Currently receiving systemic chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
  • Active bleeding.
  • Subject has any disorder (excluding illiteracy or visual impairment) that compromises the ability of the subject to give written informed consent and/or to comply with study procedures.
  • In the opinion of the study investigator has a risk of non-compliance with study procedures, or cannot read, understand or complete study related materials.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Gamma Delta Tocotrienols - Low Dose
33 subjects with cholesterol level (>180 mg/dl), ages 35-70, currently taking statins who meet all of the eligibility criteria in the screening phase of the study will be assigned to the TRF (63mg) arm of the study to evaluate the cholesterol suppressive actions of TRF. Subjects will be asked to take 2 tablets per day and to maintain the American Heart Association (AHA) diet for 12 weeks.
Drug: Gamma Delta Tocotrienols - Low Dose
250 mg capsule containing 63 mg Gamma Delta Tocotrienols 2x/day for 12 weeks.
Other Names:
  • Tocotrienol-enriched Fraction of Palm Oil (TRF)
Active Comparator: Gamma Delta Tocotrienols - High Dose
33 subjects with cholesterol level (>180 mg/dl), ages 35-70, currently taking statins who meet all of the eligibility criteria in the screening phase of the study will be assigned to the TRF (127mg) arm of the study to evaluate the cholesterol suppressive actions of TRF. Subjects will be asked to take 2 tablets per day and to maintain the American Heart Association (AHA) diet for 12 weeks.
Drug: Gamma Delta Tocotrienols - High Dose
250 mg capsule containing 127 mg Gamma Delta Tocotrienols 2x/day for 12 weeks.
Other Names:
  • Tocotrienol-enriched Fraction of Palm Oil (TRF)
Placebo Comparator: Sugar Pill
33 subjects with cholesterol level (>180 mg/dl), ages 35-70, currently taking statins who meet all of the eligibility criteria in the screening phase of the study will be assigned to the Placebo arm of the study to evaluate the cholesterol suppressive actions of Placebo. Subjects will be asked to take 2 tablets per day and to maintain the American Heart Association (AHA) diet for 12 weeks.
Drug: Sugar Pill
250 mg Placebo capsule containing 50% medium chain triglycerides and 50% glycerin 2x/day for 12 weeks.
Other Names:
  • Placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in LDL Cholesterol Over Time Between the 3 Groups
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Mixed-effects regression models will be used to evaluate the change in LDL cholesterol over time between the 3 groups
Baseline and 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of California, Los Angeles

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Zhaoping Li, MD, PhD, UCLA Department of Medicine
  • Principal Investigator: David Heber, MD, PhD, UCLA Department of Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 22, 2011

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 13, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 13, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 26, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 15, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 18, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 12, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 23, 2019

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
January 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • TOCO 11-000665

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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