Tocotrienols
Tocotrienols are the four unsaturated members of the vitamin E family (alpha, beta, gamma and delta), close relatives of tocopherols with three double bonds in the side chain. Commercial tocotrienols are concentrated from palm oil (usually from palm fatty acid distillate), rice bran oil or annatto seed by distillation and chromatography, and sold as standardized oils or as powders made from those oils. Palm and rice bran material carries some alpha-tocopherol; annatto material is mostly delta- and gamma-tocotrienol.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Red-brown oil from palm, standardized to a stated total tocotrienol content with alpha-tocopherol present, often diluted in palm olein.
Oil from annatto seed that is mostly delta-tocotrienol with some gamma-tocotrienol and little or no tocopherol.
Concentrates from rice bran oil, usually sold as mixed tocotrienols and tocopherols, sometimes alongside gamma-oryzanol.
Tocotrienol oil spray-dried or adsorbed onto a carrier such as starch, gum acacia or silica for tablets, capsules and dry mixes.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Tocotrienol oils oxidize when exposed to air, light and heat, so keep them in full, nitrogen-flushed, light-proof containers in a cool place and reseal opened drums under nitrogen. Powders should be kept sealed and dry. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, and older stock is retested for isomer content and peroxide value before use.
Record the actual total tocotrienol content and the isomer split for each lot, since palm, rice bran and annatto material differ and natural feedstock varies. Rotate stock first-expiry, first-out and check peroxide value on opened containers.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
FDA's GRAS Notice Inventory lists GRN 307, for palm oil-derived tocols with tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol as the principal components, notified by Malaysian Palm Oil Board TAS America; it closed on April 23, 2010 with FDA having no questions, noting that some uses may require a color additive listing.
Source: hfpappexternal.fda.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database lists tocotrienol concentrate as a vitamin under Schedule 1 of the Natural Health Products Regulations, with annatto seed, oil palm fruit and rice seed bran as source materials.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The same database entry allows tocotrienol concentrate as a non-medicinal ingredient: as a preservative in oral products when it is not linked to a health claim, and as a topical skin-conditioning agent up to 0.12%.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Saddle Brook, NJ
Sells it as DeltaGold
New Jersey branded-ingredient company, formerly Nutrition 21. Its portfolio includes chromium picolinate, zinc picolinate and an annatto tocotrienol for supplement, food and beverage brands.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include palm tocotrienol complex, annatto tocotrienol oil, rice bran tocotrienols and powders and beadlets. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect tocotrienol and tocopherol assay, peroxide and acid value, residual solvents, heavy metals and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Tocotrienol oils oxidize when exposed to air, light and heat, so keep them in full, nitrogen-flushed, light-proof containers in a cool place and reseal opened drums under nitrogen. Powders should be kept sealed and dry. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, and older stock is retested for isomer content and peroxide value before use.
FDA's GRAS Notice Inventory lists GRN 307, for palm oil-derived tocols with tocotrienols and alpha-tocopherol as the principal components, notified by Malaysian Palm Oil Board TAS America; it closed on April 23, 2010 with FDA having no questions, noting that some uses may require a color additive listing. Health Canada's Natural Health Products Ingredients Database lists tocotrienol concentrate as a vitamin under Schedule 1 of the Natural Health Products Regulations, with annatto seed, oil palm fruit and rice seed bran as source materials. The same database entry allows tocotrienol concentrate as a non-medicinal ingredient: as a preservative in oral products when it is not linked to a health claim, and as a topical skin-conditioning agent up to 0.12%.
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