Pinene

Pinene is a family of isomers

Pinene usually refers to alpha-pinene and beta-pinene, bicyclic monoterpenes. Cannabis plant-chemistry research has identified (+)-alpha-pinene among the terpene products made in resin-producing trichomes. The isomer and enantiomer named in a report matter when the chemistry is compared with a paper.

The human study measured metabolism

A small human experimental study gave oral alpha-pinene to four volunteers and measured the parent compound and its metabolites. It was a pharmacokinetic exposure study, not a treatment trial and not a study of a cannabis product.

Other work used human chondrocytes to compare alpha- and beta-pinene, including different enantiomers. A mouse and isolated-vessel study examined alpha-pinene and two metabolites in blood vessels. These cell and animal findings help describe model responses, but they do not provide a patient cardiovascular or anti-inflammatory result.

Pinene results belong to a specific sample

“Pinene”, “alpha-pinene” and “beta-pinene” are composition terms. They do not state the absorbed amount, the effect of the complete formulation or the response of an individual. The MCPH terpene reference is useful for the naming distinction; a pinene result cannot replace the actual dispensing label or prescribed instructions.

Related conditions

• Migraine and headache
• ADHD

Sources

• Human metabolism of α-pinene (primary human experimental pharmacokinetic study, PMID 26679931, DOI 10.1007/s00204-015-1656-9).
• Anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective activity of (+)-α-pinene (primary human-cell/laboratory study, PMID 24455984, DOI 10.1021/np400828x).
• Endothelial-dependent relaxation of α-pinene (primary animal and isolated-vessel study, PMID 37889254, DOI 10.1152/ajpheart.00380.2023).
• Terpene synthases from Cannabis sativa (primary cannabis plant-chemistry study, PMID 28355238, DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0173911).