Monoterpenes
Alpha-Pinene – Terpene Profile
Hinted in its name, α-Pinene is commonly found in coniferous trees, notably the pine. Has a very characteristic spicy, woody pine aroma. It is the most widely encountered terpene in nature and has a wide range of medicinal properties. Several studies revealed it as a strong bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, sedative and anxiolytic.
Found in
Pine
Boiling Point
155℃
311℉
Medicinal qualities:
Relaxing
Effects of Inhaled Rosemary Oil on Subjective Feelings and Activities of the Nervous System.
Sayorwan, W., Ruangrungsi, N., Piriyapunyporn, T., Hongratanaworakit, T., Kotchabhakdi, N., & Siripornpanich, V. (2013)
Intracerebral Distribution of a-Pinene and the Anxiolytic-like Effect in Mice Following Inhaled Administration of Essential Oil from Chamaecyparis obtuse.
Kasuya, H., Iida, S., Ono, K., Satou, T., & Koike, K. (2015)
Effects of alpha-pinene odor in different concentrations on stress-induced hyperthermia in rats.
Akutsu H, Kikusui T, Takeuchi Y, Mori Y. (2003)
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory and Chondroprotective Activity of (+)-α-Pinene: Structural and Enantiomeric Selectivity.
Rufino, A. T., Ribeiro, M., Judas, F., Salgueiro, L., Lopes, M.C., Cavaleiro, C., & Mendes, A. F. (2014)
Alpha-Pinene Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory Activity Through the Suppression of MAPKs and the NF-κB Pathway in Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages.
Kim DS, Lee HJ, Jeon YD, Han YH, Kee JY, Kim HJ, Shin HJ, Kang J, Lee BS, Kim SH, Kim SJ, Park SH, Choi BM, Park SJ, Um JY, Hong SH. (2015)
In vivo
Sedative
α-Pinene, a major constituent of pine tree oils, enhances non-rapid eye movement sleep in mice through GABAA-benzodiazepine receptors.
Yang, H., Woo, J., Pae, A. N., Um, M. Y., Cho, N. C., Park, K. D., Yoon, M., Kim, J., & Lee, C. J., & Cho, S. (2016)
Effects of plant-derived odors on sleep-wakefulness and circadian rhythmicity in rats.
Yamaoka, S., Tomita, T., Imaizumi, Y., Watanabe, K., & Hatanaka, A. (2005)
Antinociceptive
Antinociceptive activity of alpha-pinene and fenchone
Him, A., Ozbek, H., Turel, I., & Oner, A. C. (2008)
Gastroprotective
Gastroprotective effect of alpha-pinene and its correlation with antiulcerogenic activity of essential oils obtained from Hyptis species.
Pinheiro, M. A., Magalhães, R. M., Torres, D. M., Cavalcante, R. C., Xavier Mota, F. S., Oliveira Coelho, E. M. A., Moreira, H. P., Lima, G. C., da Costa Araújo, P. C., Leal Cardoso, J. H. L., de Souza, A. N. C., & Diniz, L. R. L. (2015)
In vitro
AcH Inhibitor
Inhibitory effect of Turkish Rosmarinus officinalis L. on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzymes.
Orhan, I., Aslan, S., Kartal, M., Şener, B., & Hüsnü Can Başer, K. (2008)
