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Pycnogenol® is a water extract from the bark of the French
maritime pine grown in Europe’s largest single forest, spread over
the coastal region of south-west France, les Landes de Gascogne.
Although the term pycnogenol is now confined to procyanidins from
the French maritime pine, the term was originally intended to serve
as scientific name for this class of flavonoids.
Laboratory
studies have demonstrated that pycnogenol has a number of
antioxidant effects. Similar studies also indicate that pycnogenol
has anti-inflammatory activity effects. All of pycnogenol's effects
are thought to be due, in large part, to pycnogenol's capacity as a
scavenger of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species.
Additionally, pycnogenol also appears to have the ability to inhibit
the property functioning of NF-kappa B and AP-1. NF-kappa B and AP-1
upregulate the expression of several inflammatory agents such as
intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). The inhibition of ICAM-1
expression by pycnogenol could also account for possible
anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic activities of pycnogenol in
treating some inflammatory skin conditions, such as lupus
erythematous, atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.
Many claim
that pycnogenol is useful for boosting the immune system, relieving
neuro-degenerative disorders, is an anti-allergen, an anticancer
agent, an anti-diabetic agent, relieves arthritis, prevents liver
cirrhosis, and fights arthritis; however, these claims are not well
founded. Recent research suggests that pycnogenol may indeed have
some cardio protective effects useful for fighting a few vascular
disorders and it is very possible that in the future research may
emerge to show that pycnogenol may have some immune-modulating,
anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects.
Dosage
and Administration
Common dosage ranges from 25 to
200 mg per day.
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