Grape Seed Extract And Pine Bark Extract

By Della Jiang on October 15, 2011
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Grapes have been prized as food and medicine for thousands of years and were utilized by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks. Grape seed extract comes from the seeds of grapes, usually obtained from winemakers.

Vitamin E, flavonoids, linoleic acid, and OPCs are highly concentrated in grape seeds. These compounds can also be found in lower concentrations in the skin of the grape. OPCs are also found in grape juice and wine, but in lower concentrations. Resveratrol is another of grape's compounds which is related to OPCs and found mainly in the skins. Resveratrol has become very popular as an antioxidant and is being studied in connection with a variety of diseases.

Pine bark extract is made from the bark of the maritime pine tree (Pinus pinaster), which contains naturally occurring chemicals called proanthocyanidins. The maritime pine is native to the western Mediterranean,cartier love bangle price, with a range extending over Portugal, Spain,cartier love bracelet gold price, France, Italy, and Morocco.

In the winter of 1535, a French explorer named Jacques Cartier found his ship ice-bound in the St. Lawrence River, in what is now Quebec. Having no fruits or vegetables, the crew became ill with scurvy, a disease resulting from vitamin C deficiency. Several had already died when a Native American told them how to prepare a tea made from tree bark. Many crew members recovered and attributed miraculous qualities to the tea. It is thought now that the tea was prepared from the bark of the Eastern White Cedar tree and that it contained large amounts of vitamin C.

Both grape seed extract and pine bark extract are rich sources of the plant flavonoids OPCs. Grape seed extract and pine bark extract of OPCs are well-defined chemically. Both are excellent sources of proanthocyanidins: grape seed extract is available which contain a total of 92% or 95% OPCs while the pine bark extracts can vary from 80% to 85%. Although both sources can be used interchangeably, for several valid reasons OPCs extracted from grape seeds have emerged as the preferred source.

Besides, in regards to the free radical scavenging activities of OPCs, studies by Professor Masquelier have demonstrated that the grape seed extract is substantially more potent and effective compared to the pine bark extract. Why? Only the grape seed extract contains the gallic esters of proanthocyanidins in particular: proanthocyanidin B2-3'-0-gallate. These compounds are the most active free radical scavenging OPCs. They are not present in the pine bark extract but they are found in the OPCs extract from the grape seed.

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