抄録
Natural vitamin E is widely used as an antioxidative food additive as well as a remedy for gerontological disorders. We have tested long term effects of natural vitamin E (E-mix 80: a mixture of natural tocopherols) in a strain of mice by the continuous oral administration from 8 weeks to 104 weeks of age. It was shown that the frequency of the spontaneous development of liver tumors was significantly elevated in a group fed with vitamin E diet. We have also tested effects of natural vitamin E on the carcinogenesis by N-nitrosodiethylamine. E-mix 80 exerted inhibitory effects on N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, and inhibited the effects of N-nitrosodiethylamine initiated lung and upper alimentary tract carcinogenesis. Taking these findings and other published data into consideration, we urge the careful re-evaluation of the use of this agent as an antioxidative food additive and a remedy.
