Calming effect of alpha-pinene, the main component of pine oils

Dear colleagues,

This week we have chosen an article that shows a good example of the calming effect of certain molecules offered by nature.

I am talking about Alpha-Pinene, the main constituent of pine oils and a well-known antioxidant, antimicrobial and even antiparasitic.

In this article we will see how this monoterpene shows potential anxiolytic effects through direct binding to GABAA-benzodiazepine (BZD) receptors acting as a partial modulator at the BZD binding site.

Specifically, alpha-pinene was found to bind to the aromatic residues of the a1- and -g2-subunits of GABAA-BZD receptors in the molecular model. The conclusion of the article is that alpha-pinene increases the amount of NREMS without affecting the intensity of NREMS by prolonging GABAergic synaptic transmission, acting as a partial modulator of GABAA-BZD receptors, and directly binding to the BZD binding site of the GABAA receptor.

As a conclusion we can say that pine extracts in addition to the antimicrobial and antioxidant effect could help to calm livestock animals predisposed to stress such as weaned piglets or salmons.

And as always if we want to be sure that the molecule reaches the target, it is necessary to protect it as we are doing in some of our formulations with the HHH System.

Enjoy the article.

Photography: Lum3n in Pexels