미강으로부터 정제된 tocotrienol은 DPPH를 기질로 확인한 결과 매우 뛰어난 항산화력을 가지는 것으로 판명되었다. 또한 정상세포와 암세포를 배양하면서 tocotrienol을 처리하고 세포내의 항산화에 가장 큰 역할을 하는 superoxide dismutase와 glutathione peroxidase 활성을 측정한 결과 두 효소 모두 tocotrienol에 의하여 활성이 증가되는 것을 볼 수 있었으며, 전체적으로 암세포에서 GPX가 SOD보다 더 민감하게 증가함을 알 수 있었다.
The pharmaceutical function of tocotrienol in rice bran was evaluated. Distinctive antioxidative effects by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) could be observed. Also, Superoxide Dismutase(SOD) and Glutathione Peroxidase(GPX) activities of the cultured cells such as human firbroblast and hepatocyte, were increased up to 2 fold by the treatment of tocotrienol. The effects on GPX activity were more evident than SOD activity, and the stimulation was up to 2 fold. The changes of gene expression patterns were examined by applying the cell extracts of fibroblast treated with the increasing concentrations of tocotrienol on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-D gel electrophoresis). As the concentrations increasing, many proteins began to appear with the increasing amounts, while several proteins diminished or disappeared. From these results, tocotrienol was clearly shown to have abilities on protecting any oxidizing damages and stimulating anti-oxidizing activities of the organisms.