The calming effect of alpha-pinene, the main component of pine oils

Dear colleagues,

This week we have chosen an article that provides a good example of the calming effect of certain molecules found in nature.

I am referring to alpha-pinene, the main component of pine oils and a well-known antioxidant, antimicrobial and even antiparasitic agent.

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

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

In conclusion, we can say that pine extracts, in addition to their antimicrobial and antioxidant effects, could help calm livestock animals prone to stress, such as weaned piglets or salmon.

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

Disfruten del artículo.

Fotografía: Lum3n en Pexels