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Added: 11/4/2009
The anti-inflammatory and pain-reducing effects of an extract from French maritime pine bark may be a result of stopping two enzymes linked to inflammation.
According to a study published in International Immunopharmacology, Pycnogenol, extracted from the bark of Pinus pinaster, appears to inhibit the generation of the pro-inflammatory COX-2 and 5-LOX enzymes.
The results appear to explain the positive results previously observed linking the pine bark extract to benefits in conditions as varied as asthma and osteoarthritis.
"This study reveals that Pycnogenol can actually decrease pain and reduce inflammatory conditions, as has been previously reported, by shutting down the production of specific enzymes involved with inflammation," said Dr. Raffaella Canali of the national Research Institute on Food and Nutrition in Rome, Italy.
Dr. Canali and her co-workers recruited six healthy volunteers between 35 and 50 years old and had them consume 150 mg of Pycnogenol per day. Blood samples were taken before and after the five days of supplementation, and the expression of certain genes in the white blood cells (leucocytes) was measured.
Looking at the main mediators of inflammation, namely cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes, the researchers noted that the pine bark extract “blocked” the COX-2 enzyme production during inflammation only. The mechanism of action of the pine bark extract is therefore different than that of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the pharmaceutical alternative to reduce inflammation.
"Standard NSAID medications reduce the production of prostaglandins by COX enzymes for lowering the pain," Dr. Canali explained. "In contrast, Pycnogenol turns to the root of the problem, completely stopping the production of COX-2 in inflammation. Thus far, Pycnogenol seems to be a unique tool for modulating inflammatory processes."
International Immunopharmacology Published online ahead of print.
