Synergistic Anti-cancer Effect of Rice Bran Oil Components

Abstract

Rice bran oil contains various bioactive compounds, including tocotrienol (T3; unsaturated vitamin E), ferulic acid (FA), γ-oryzanol, β-sitosterol, and thus much attention has been focused on the health benefits of its components. We previously demonstrated that T3 has potent anti-tumor activity, and that δ-T3 has the most potent anti-cancer activity (i.e., antiangiogenesis and telomerase inhibition) of the four T3 isomers. Since the bioavailability of orally ingested T3 is lower than that of tocopherol (well-known vitamin E), several studies are in progress to screen for molecules that can synergize with T3 in order to augment its potency. In this review, we summarize the current status of synergistic effects of rice bran oil components, especially T3 and FA, on cancer cell growth and cellular telomerase.