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Distillers corn oil (DCO) is a coproduct of bioethanol production. In the dry-grind ethanol process, DCO is extracted post-fermentation by the centrifugal separation of oil from the aqueous thin-stillage or whole stillage, and is a valuable coproduct currently used in animal production as a feed additive or as a feedstock for renewable biodiesel production. This study analyzes the variability in the fatty acid profiles and the content and composition of bioactive components in DCO from thirty bioethanol plants in the United States. The fatty acid profiles of the DCO samples were similar to commercial corn oil with an average of 56.0 % linoleic acid (C18:2), 27.6 % oleic (C18:1), 11.9 % palmitic (C16:0), 1.5 % stearic (C18:0), and 1.2 % linolenic (C18:3). There was low variability in fatty acid composition among the samples, with all major fatty acids having ≤ 3.5 % coefficient of variation (CV). Average total tocopherols were 1023 mg/kg comprised of gamma-, delta-, and alpha-tocopherols, with CV's ranging from 20.8 % to 57.8 %. The mean tocotrienol contents were 348 mg/kg, with CV's ranging from 18.8 % to 71.7 %. Mean carotenoid content was 239 mg/kg, comprised of lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, and alpha- and beta-carotenes, with CVs ranging from 19.7 % to 39.6 %. Mean total phytosterols were 19,360 mg/kg, while a class of phytosterols, ferulate phytosterol esters, were 4626 mg/kg. There was lower variation in phytosterol content, with CVs ranging from 9 % to 13 %. Methanol extracts from DCO contained 242 mg/kg gallic acid equivalents (GAE), with a 27.9 % CV. The antioxidant activity of methanol extracts, measured by diphenyl picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, was 3.8 µmol/kg Trolox equivalents (CV = 19.9 %). The oils had an average oxidative stability index (OSI) at 110 °C of 11.8 h. The OSI values were significantly positively correlated with lutein, delta-tocopherol, and phytosterols including stigmasterol and campesterol. The results indicate that there was a higher amount of variation between plants in the content and composition of tocopherols, carotenoids, and total phenolics than for fatty acids composition and phytosterols. However, DCO from the dry grind ethanol process may be a sustainable feedstock for bioactive lipids for foods, dietary supplements, and industrial use. • Phytochemical variation in centrifugally extracted distillers corn oil is presented. • Variation was higher for tocopherols, tocotrienols, and carotenoids. • DCO is a rich source of phytosterols and ferulate phytosterol esters. • Oxidative stability was correlated with several lipophilic antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin E, evening primrose oil (EPO), and the combination of vitamin E and EPO for pain control in women with cyclical mastalgia. PROCEDURE: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at two U.S. academic medical centers. Eighty-five women with premenstrual cyclical breast discomfort were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four six-month oral treatments: vitamin E (1,200 IU/day), EPO (3,000 mg/day), vitamin E (1,200 IU/day) plus EPO (3,000 mg/day), or double placebo. The primary outcome measure was change in breast pain, measured by the modified McGill Pain Questionnaire at enrollment and at six months. RESULTS: Forty-one patients completed the study. Intent-to-treat analysis (pretesting and post testing) showed a difference in worst-pain improvement with the treatments EPO (p=0.005), vitamin E (p=0.04), and EPO plus vitamin E (p=0.05), but no difference with placebo (p=0.93). Results from two-sample t-test showed a nonsignificant decrease in cyclical mastalgia individually for the three treatment groups compared with the placebo group (EPO, p=0.18; vitamin E, p=0.10; and EPO plus vitamin E, p=0.16). The data were also analyzed with the separation test by Aickin, which showed a trend toward a reduction of cyclical mastalgia with vitamin E and EPO individually and in combination. CONCLUSION: Daily doses of 1,200 IU vitamin E, 3,000 mg EPO, or vitamin E and EPO in combination at these same dosages taken for six months may decrease the severity of cyclical mastalgia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the role vitamin E may have in protecting against various chronic conditions, little is known about vitamin E status in the US population. Using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988–1994), the authors examined the distribution and correlates of serum α-tocopherol among 16, 295 US adults aged 18 or more years. The mean concentration of α-tocopherol was 26.8 jimol/liter (geometric mean, 25.0 nmol/liter). The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles were 19.6, 24.1, and 30.4 p/nol/liter, respectively. The mean a-tocopherol/cholesterol ratio was 5.1 (geometric mean, 4.9); the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles were 4.1, 4.7, and 5.5 (10−3), respectively. About 27% of the US population had a low α-tocopherol concentration (<20 μmol/liter). After age standardization, 29% of the men, 28% of the women, 26% of the Whites (men, 27%, and women, 26%), 41% of the African Americans (men, 42%, and women, 40%), 28% of the Mexican Americans (men, 29%, and women, 27%), and 32% of the other participants (men, 36%, and women, 29%) had this low concentration. For all participants, age, educational attainment, serum cholesterol, and several serum vitamins and carotenoids were directly related to and high density lipoprotein cholesterol was inversely related to serum α-tocopherol concentration in multiple linear regression analysis. Men had a higher concentration than did women, and African Americans had the lowest concentration of any racial or ethnic group. These results show that important proportions of US adults have a low serum α-tocopherol concentration, which may increase their risk for chronic diseases in which low dietary intake or blood concentration of α-tocopherol have been implicated. Am J Epidemiol 1999; 150: 290-300. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) are collaborating to produce a series of standard reference materials (SRMs) for dietary supplements. Standard reference material (SRM) 3276 Carrot Extract in Oil is one in this series, with values assigned for trans-α-carotene, trans- and total β-carotene, δ- and γ-tocopherol, and twelve fatty acids. Results for carotenoids and tocopherols were obtained by use of combinations of liquid chromatography (LC), on columns of differing selectivity, with absorbance and mass spectrometric (MS) detection. Fluorescence detection also was used for the tocopherols. Results for fatty acids were obtained by use of gas chromatography (GC) with both flame-ionization and mass-spectrometric detection. This material is intended for use as a primary control material when assigning values to in-house (secondary) control materials and for validation of analytical methods for measurement of these analytes in similar matrices. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoangiogenesis is required for tumor development and progression. Many solid tumors induce vascular proliferation by production of angiogenic factors, prominently vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Because nutrition is a causative factor for tumor prevention and promotion, we determined whether secondary plant constituents, i.e., flavonoids, tocopherols, curcumin, and other substances regulate VEGF in human tumor cells in vitro. VEGF release (concurrent with synthesis) from MDA human breast cancer cells and, for comparison, U-343 and U-118 glioma cells was measured by ELISA. Of 21 compounds tested, 9 showed significant inhibitory activity at 0.1 micromol/L in MDA human breast cancer cells. The rank order of inhibitory potency was naringin > rutin > alpha-tocopheryl succinate (alpha-TOS) > lovastatin > apigenin > genistein > alpha-tocopherol >or= kaempferol > gamma-tocopherol; chrysin and curcumin were inactive except at a concentration of 100 micromol/L. Glioma cells were similarly sensitive, with U343 more than U118, especially for alpha-TOS and tocopherols. Among the tocopherol derivatives, alpha-TOS (0.1 micromol/L) was the most effective in reducing VEGF release. Overall, the glycosylated flavonoids (i.e., naringin, a constituent of citrus fruits, and rutin, a constituent of cranberries) induced the greatest response to treatment at the lowest concentration in MDA human breast cancer cells. Inhibition of VEGF release by flavonoids, tocopherols, and lovastatin in these models of neoplastic cells suggests a novel mechanism for mammary cancer prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic cigarette and vaping associated lung injury (EVALI) syndrome was first described in the United States (US) and was presumably strongly associated with cannabinoid vaping and exposure to vitamin E acetate, an oily additive used to dilute/cut cannabinoids vape liquids. As the case numbers were relatively low (epidemiologically) and the available data was inconsistent, several assumptions were made to explain the phenomenon. The lack of standardization of sampling, the self-reported, inhomogeneous user habits, the huge number of potential etiologies, and certain trade/legal loopholes (such as online distribution, black market penetration, or the inefficient regulatory control regarding the quantity and/or quality of ingredients/cutting agents) might question the validity of the data and the consequent conclusions. Furthermore, an interesting but by no means negligible question is the fact why no EVALI cases have been registered outside the US when electronic cigarettes and vapes have become increasingly popular worldwide. The present review seeks to answer whether vitamin E acetate is indeed the cause of this complex syndrome, what potentially non-healthcare related factors might have contributed to the rapid increase and decline in EVALI cases, and last but not least the minimum standards of safe vaping (as potential for drug delivery route for cannbinoids). Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(31): 1281-1285.

Background: Biomarkers provide potential to objectively measure the intake of nutrients and foods, and thereby to strengthen nutritional epidemiology association studies. However, there are only a few established intake biomarkers, mostly based on recovery of nutrients or their metabolites in urine. Blood concentration measures provide a potential biomarker source for many additional nutritional variables, but their use in disease-association studies requires further development., Objective: The aim of this study was to apply recently proposed serum-based carotenoid and tocopherol intake biomarkers and to examine their association with the incidence of major cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes in a subset of Women's Health Initiative (WHI) cohorts., Methods: Serum concentrations of α- and β-carotene, lutein plus zeaxanthin (L + Z), and α-tocopherol were routinely measured at baseline in a subset of 5488 enrollees in WHI cohorts. Intake biomarkers for these 4 micronutrients, obtained by combining serum concentrations with participant characteristics, were recently proposed using a 153-woman feeding study within WHI. These biomarker equations are augmented here to include pertinent disease risk factors and are associated with subsequent chronic disease incidence in this WHI subset., Results: HRs for a doubling of micronutrient intake differed only moderately from the null for the outcomes considered. However, somewhat lower risks of specific cardiovascular outcomes, breast cancer, and diabetes were associated with a higher intake of α- and β-carotene, lower risk of diabetes was associated with higher L + Z intake, and elevated risks of certain cardiovascular outcomes were associated with a higher intake of α-tocopherol. These patterns remained following the exclusion of baseline users of dietary supplements., Conclusions: Concentration biomarkers can be calculated from blood specimens obtained in large epidemiologic cohorts and applied directly in disease-association analyses, without relying on self-reported dietary data. Observed associations between carotenoid and tocopherol biomarkers and chronic disease risk could be usefully evaluated further using stored serum specimens on the entire WHI cohort. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00000611., (Copyright © American Society for Nutrition 2019.)