[Latin Name]  Pinus pinaster.

[Specification] OPC ≥ 95%

[Appearance] Red brown fine powder

Plant Part Used: Bark

[Particle size] 80Mesh

[Loss on drying] ≤5.0%

[Heavy Metal] ≤10PPM

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life] 24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside.

[Net weight] 25kgs/drum

[What is Pine bark?]

Pine bark, botanical name Pinus pinaster, is a maritime pine native to southwest France that also grows in countries along the western Mediterranean.  Pine bark contains a number of beneficial compounds that are extracted from the bark in a way that doesn’t destroy or damage the tree.

[How does it work?]

What gives pine bark extract its notoriety as a powerful ingredient and super antioxidant is that it’s loaded with oligomeric proanthocyanidin compounds, OPCs for short. The same ingredient can be found in grape seeds, the skin of peanuts and witch hazel bark. But what makes this miracle ingredient so amazing?

While OPCs found in this extract are mostly known for their antioxidant-producing benefits, these amazing compounds exude antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. Pine bark extract can help reduce muscle soreness and may help improve conditions relating to poor circulation, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, diabetes, ADHD, female reproductive issues, skin, erectile dysfunction, eye disease and sports stamina.

Seems like it must be pretty amazing, but let’s look closer. The list goes on a bit further, as the OPCs in this extract may “inhibit lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation, capillary permeability and fragility, and to affect enzyme systems,” which basically means it may be a natural treatment for many serious health conditions, such as stroke and heart disease.

[Function]

1. Lowers Glucose Levels, Improving Diabetic Symptoms
2. Helps Prevent Hearing Loss and Balance
3. Staves Off Infections
4. Protects the Skin from Ultraviolet Exposure
5. Decreases Erectile Dysfunction
6. Reduces Inflammation
7.  Helps Increase Athletic Performance

Found an amazing vid that shows every bit of happenings inside a cell with bright and vivid graphic presentation.

Notes:
Cell – the smallest unit of life. It takes up useful molecules and gets rid of waste molecules. It breaks down larger molecules to produce usable energy in the form of ATP molecules, where energy was stored, to synthesize other larger molecules. Big molecules are CONSTANTLY being breaking down into small molecules and the pieces used to make big molecules again, a process called ‘turnover’.

Selectin – any of a family of sugar-binding lectins that are found on the surface of cells (as endothelial cells and white blood cells) and that promote their adhesion to other cells and mediate their migration to sites of inflammation.

Leukocytes – white blood cell

Chemokine – any of a group of chemotactic cytokines that are produced by various cells (as at sites of inflammation), that are thought to provide directional cues for the movement of white blood cells (as T cells, monocytes, and neutrophils), and that include some playing a role in HIV infection because the cell surface receptors to which they bind are also used by specific strains of HIV for entry into cells.

Proteoglycan – any of a class of glycoproteins of high molecular weight that are found in the extracellular matrix of connective tissue, are made up mostly of carbohydrate consisting of various polysaccharide side chains linked to a protein, and resemble polysaccharides rather than proteins in their properties.

2 classes of receptors –
Ligand-gated ion channel
G protein-coupled receptor

Mitochondria – an organelle which break down nutrients such as glucose and provide the cell with energy to perform its function.

Membrane – defines the boundary of the cell and consists of a double layer of fatlike lipid molecules. Embedded in the membrane are a variety of protein molecules that have special functions.

Microtubule – a long strand of bundles of protein filaments arranged around a hollow core; part of the cytoskeleton and involved in transporting substances from place to place within a cell.

G-protein – a protein coupled to a metabotropic receptor. When a molecule of the neurotransmitter binds with the receptor, the receptor activates a G protein situated inside the membrane next to the receptor.

Cited:
Almon, Richard. Drugs, Stress, and Human Function. Cognella, Inc., 2013. USA

Carlson, Neil R., Foundations of Behavioral Neuroscience, 9th ed. Pearson, 2014. USA

U.S. National Library of Medicine, MedLine Plus, https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

(I do not own this video)

Glycosidase enzymes cleave glycosidic bonds with great substrate specificity and stereocontrol. Learn more about the mechanism of glycoside hydrolysis in this webcast. Many of the elementary steps described should look familiar!