Pinus massoniana Bark Extract Supplementation Significantly Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults with Moderately High Systolic Blood Pressure

by | Dec 15, 2022 | 2022, Blood Pressure, Botanicals, Cardiovascular Health, Polyphenols

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. 12-week supplementation of PMBE resulted in a reduction of SBP by -7.49 mmHG (p=0.001) and DBP by -3.06 mmHg (p=0.011) in individuals with non-medicated high SBP. 

blood pressure cuffCardiovascular events are responsible for more than 18 million deaths each year, which is around one third of all global deaths1. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and both heritable and lifestyle risk factors contribute to elevated blood pressure levels2. The traditional blood pressure threshold for diagnosing hypertension is a systolic pressure of 140 and a diastolic pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher3. Reasons for uncontrolled hypertension include excess salt, alcohol, saturated and trans fats, along with obesity and physical inactivity4.

Polyphenolic extracts from Pinus massoniana bark have reported different biological actions and promising beneficial effects on human health5. Pinus massoniana bark extract (PMBE) contains various flavanones such as taxifolin which has been reported to reduce blood pressure due to its antioxidant capacity6. Previous research on PMBE treatment led to increases in glutathione and superoxide dismutase, as well as alleviation of damage induces by carbon tetrachloride7.

Ferguson et al. conducted a parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled study with two parallel groups to evaluate to effects of a dietary supplement high in proanthocyanidins (PACs) derived from PMBE on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in healthy adults. Participant inclusion consisted of being a healthy adult aged 55-75 years old. Participants (n=60) were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to consume one of the following daily for 12 weeks: 50 mL liquid drink containing either placebo (0 mg Pinus massoniana, providing 32 mg total polyphenols) or PMBE (1322 mg of Pinus massoniana, providing 432 mg total polyphenols). Each daily liquid drink portion featured 43.7 mL purified water, 2938.5 mg inulin, 1322 mg Pinus massoniana, 734.5 mg glycerin, 489.5 mg papain enzyme (derived from papaya), 171.5 mg xanthum gum, 150 mg citric acid anhydrous, 98 mg Actinidia chinensis (derived from kiwifruit), 73.5 mg cranberry extract, 73.5 mg cranberry flavour and 49 mg pomegranate dry extract as the key ingredients.

Participant’s information regarding blood pressure, anthropometric measures, medical history, dietary intake, and physical activity patterns were collected after an overnight fast at baseline (0 weeks), mid-way (6 weeks), and post-intervention (12 weeks). The Shapiro-Wilk test was utilized to assess data for normality. An independent samples t-test was used to compare mean baseline characteristics across groups of systolic blood pressure (SBP) status for normally distributed data and Mann-Whitney U test was utilized for non-normally distributed data.

At the beginning of the study 20 participants had optimal and 42 had high SBP. Nutrient intake was similar at baseline and post-intervention within study groups and between SBP status. Significant findings of the 12-week study include a significant reduction in SBP (-3.29 mmHG, p=0.028) in the PMBE group post-intervention compared to baseline. Furthermore, subjects with high SBP experienced a reduction in SBP by -6.46 mmG (p=0.001) in the PMBE group post-intervention compared to baseline.

Results of the study show that 12-week PMBE supplementation significantly reduced systolic blood pressure in healthy adults with moderately high SBP. Further research should continue to explore the blood-pressure lowering effects of PMBE on hypertensive subjects. Study limitations include the lack of independent biochemical characterization on the PMBE and the missing data for some participants lost at the follow-up time points.

Source: Ferguson, Jessica JA, Christopher Oldmeadow, David Bentley, Shaun Eslick, and Manohar L. Garg. “Effect of a polyphenol-rich dietary supplement containing Pinus massoniana bark extract on blood pressure in healthy adults: A parallel, randomized placebo-controlled trial.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine 71 (2022): 102896.

© 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted December 15, 2022.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

References:

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