Bark extract reduces osteoarthritic pain

A study published in January's issue of Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy reports that the pine bark extract, pycnogenol, may have pain-reducing properties. The research suggests that the extract inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase also known as COX, which is currently the subject of heated debate in the pharmaceutical sector. The study, which was published in the January issue of the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, was conducted at the University of Wurzburg, in Germany, under the leadership of Petra Hogga with funding from New Jersey-based firm Natural Health Science.

The work assessed the inhibitory effects of pycnogenol on the development of pain associated with arthritis. Subjects, having first provided blood samples, were placed into two groups, one of which received 200mg of the compound for five days followed by a second round of sampling. Analysis of the data revealed that the drug produced an inhibitory effect on coagulase in three of the five subjects. The research group also reported that the effects of the compound were apparent only 30 minutes after ingestion.

"This study suggests that pycnogenol supplementation inhibits the enzymes involved in the development of arthritic pain," commented Dr Hogga adding that, "when we established the study protocol, we did not expect to see any COX inhibition with pine tree bark extract. We were excited by these initial results and believe the next challenge is to identify the active principles responsible for the rapid bioavailability." The researchers concluded that pycnogenol helps reduce pain associated with inflammation but inhibiting both COX enzymes equally unlike over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin and Merck & Co's now withdrawn drug Vioxx (rofecoxib).