Pycnogenol

    Written by:
    Katie Jantz

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Nick Milazzo
    Last Updated: March 13, 2024

    Pycnogenol is a standardized extract of bark from the French maritime pine Pinus pinaster that provides a concentrated source of polyphenols, predominantly procyanidins. Pycnogenol may reduce symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency and osteoarthritis thanks to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasoactive properties; however, the evidence is relatively weak.

    61 references on this page
    5,103 participants in 19 trials and 5 meta-analyses

    Overview

    Dosage information

    Most research on French maritime pine extract has used pycnogenol, as opposed to the other standardized extracts, oligopin and flavangenol. These extracts have slightly different chemical compositions, due to different extraction techniques, and there currently isn’t enough evidence to know whether oligopin and flavangenol work the same as pycnogenol.

    Pycnogenol is available as capsules or loose powder and is usually given at a dosage of 100 to 200 mg daily, split into two or three doses (e.g., 100 mg twice daily, 50 mg three times daily). Taking pycnogenol with food may reduce gastrointestinal side effects.[1]

    Pycnogenol is also available in topical formulations. For healing ulcers associated with chronic vascular insufficiency or diabetes, combining oral and topical pycnogenol appears to be more effective than oral pycnogenol alone.[2][3]

    Frequently asked questions

    Update History

    Examine Database References

    1. Skin Quality - Marini A, Grether-Beck S, Jaenicke T, Weber M, Burki C, Formann P, Brenden H, Schönlau F, Krutmann JPycnogenol® effects on skin elasticity and hydration coincide with increased gene expressions of collagen type I and hyaluronic acid synthase in womenSkin Pharmacol Physiol.(2012)
    2. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Zibadi S, Rohdewald PJ, Park D, Watson RRReduction of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with type 2 diabetes by Pycnogenol supplementationNutr Res.(2008 May)
    3. Endothelin-1 - Ximing Liu, Ha-Jun Zhou, Peter RohdewaldFrench maritime pine bark extract Pycnogenol dose-dependently lowers glucose in type 2 diabetic patientsDiabetes Care.(2004 Mar)
    4. Asthma Symptoms - Hosseini S, Pishnamazi S, Sadrzadeh SM, Farid F, Farid R, Watson RRPycnogenol((R)) in the Management of AsthmaJ Med Food.(2001 Winter)
    5. Asthma Symptoms - G Belcaro, R Luzzi, P Cesinaro Di Rocco, M R Cesarone, M Dugall, B Feragalli, B M Errichi, E Ippolito, M G Grossi, M Hosoi, S Errichi, U Cornelli, A Ledda, G GizziPycnogenol® improvements in asthma managementPanminerva Med.(2011 Sep)
    6. Blood Flow - Nishioka K, Hidaka T, Nakamura S, Umemura T, Jitsuiki D, Soga J, Goto C, Chayama K, Yoshizumi M, Higashi YPycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, augments endothelium-dependent vasodilation in humansHypertens Res.(2007 Sep)
    7. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) - Hadi A, Pourmasoumi M, Mohammadi H, Javaheri A, Rouhani MHThe impact of pycnogenol supplementation on plasma lipids in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.Phytother Res.(2018 Nov 19)
    8. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) - Devaraj S, Vega-López S, Kaul N, Schönlau F, Rohdewald P, Jialal ISupplementation with a pine bark extract rich in polyphenols increases plasma antioxidant capacity and alters the plasma lipoprotein profileLipids.(2002 Oct)
    9. Blood glucose - Malekahmadi M, Moradi Moghaddam O, Firouzi S, Daryabeygi-Khotbehsara R, Shariful Islam SM, Norouzy A, Soltani SEffects of pycnogenol on cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Pharmacol Res.(2019-Dec)
    10. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - Omid Nikpayam, Mohammad Hossein Rouhani, Makan Pourmasoumi, Neda Roshanravan, Ehsan Ghaedi, Hamed MohammadiThe Effect of Pycnogenol Supplementation on Plasma C-Reactive Protein Concentration: a Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisClin Nutr Res.(2018 Apr 16)
    11. Blood Pressure - Federica Fogacci, Giuliano Tocci, Amirhossein Sahebkar, Vivianne Presta, Maciej Banach, Arrigo Francesco Giuseppe CiceroEffect of Pycnogenol on Blood Pressure: Findings From a PRISMA Compliant Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical StudiesAngiology.(2020 Mar)
    12. Heart Rate - Enseleit F, Sudano I, Périat D, Winnik S, Wolfrum M, Flammer AJ, Fröhlich GM, Kaiser P, Hirt A, Haile SR, Krasniqi N, Matter CM, Uhlenhut K, Högger P, Neidhart M, Lüscher TF, Ruschitzka F, Noll GEffects of Pycnogenol on endothelial function in patients with stable coronary artery disease: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over studyEur Heart J.(2012 Jul)
    13. Pain - Reza Farid, Zahra Mirfeizi, Mahyar Mirheidari, Zahra Rezaieyazdi, Hassan Mansouri, Habib Esmaelli, Sherma Zibadi, Peter Rohdewald, Ronald Ross WatsonPycnogenol supplementation reduces pain and stiffness and improves physical function in adults with knee osteoarthritisNutrition Research.()
    14. Osteoarthritis Symptoms - Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Errichi S, Zulli C, Errichi BM, Vinciguerra G, Ledda A, Di Renzo A, Stuard S, Dugall M, Pellegrini L, Errichi S, Gizzi G, Ippolito E, Ricci A, Cacchio M, Cipollone G, Ruffini I, Fano F, Hosoi M, Rohdewald PTreatment of osteoarthritis with Pycnogenol. The SVOS (San Valentino Osteo-arthrosis Study). Evaluation of signs, symptoms, physical performance and vascular aspectsPhytother Res.(2008 Apr)
    15. Chronic Venous Insufficiency Signs - Cesarone MR, Belcaro G, Rohdewald P, Pellegrini L, Ledda A, Vinciguerra G, Ricci A, Gizzi G, Ippolito E, Fano F, Dugall M, Acerbi G, Cacchio M, Di Renzo A, Hosoi M, Stuard S, Corsi MComparison of Pycnogenol and Daflon in treating chronic venous insufficiency: a prospective, controlled studyClin Appl Thromb Hemost.(2006 Apr)
    16. Chronic Venous Insufficiency Signs - Rainer KochComparative study of Venostasin and Pycnogenol in chronic venous insufficiencyPhytother Res.(2002 Mar)
    17. Leg Edema - Chan V, Wang L, Allman-Farinelli MEfficacy of Functional Foods, Beverages, and Supplements Claiming to Alleviate Air Travel Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients.(2021-Mar-16)
    18. Cognition - Luzzi R, Belcaro G, Zulli C, Cesarone MR, Cornelli U, Dugall M, Hosoi M, Feragalli BPycnogenol® supplementation improves cognitive function, attention and mental performance in studentsPanminerva Med.(2011 Sep)
    19. Erections - R Stanislavov, V NikolovaTreatment of erectile dysfunction with pycnogenol and L-arginineJ Sex Marital Ther.(May-Jun 2003)
    20. Blood Pressure - Liu X, Wei J, Tan F, Zhou S, Würthwein G, Rohdewald PPycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract, improves endothelial function of hypertensive patientsLife Sci.(2004 Jan 2)
    21. Blood Pressure - Saeed Hosseini, Jeongmin Lee, Ramon T. Sepulveda, Peter Rohdewald, Ronald R. WatsonA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective, 16 week crossover study to determine the role of Pycnogenol in modifying blood pressure in mildly hypertensive patientsNutrition Research.()
    22. Menopausal Symptoms - Errichi S, Bottari A, Belcaro G, Cesarone MR, Hosoi M, Cornelli U, Dugall M, Ledda A, Feragalli BSupplementation with Pycnogenol® improves signs and symptoms of menopausal transitionPanminerva Med.(2011 Sep)
    23. NF-kB Activity - Tanja Grimm, Zuzana Chovanová, Jana Muchová, Katarína Sumegová, Anna Liptáková, Zdeňka Ďuračková and Petra HöggerInhibition of NF-κB activation and MMP-9 secretion by plasma of human volunteers after ingestion of maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol)Journal of Inflammation.()
    24. Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms - Belcaro G, Gizzi G, Pellegrini L, Feragalli B, Cotellese R, Cacchio M, Corsi MPycnogenol® supplementation improves the control of irritable bowel syndrome symptomsPanminerva Med.(2018 Jun)