Pinolenic Acid methyl ester

Pinolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid found in Korean pine (Pinus orientalis) and maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) seed oils. Both oils have been found to have lipid-lowering properties. A diet containing maritime pine seed oil (MPSO) lowered HDL and ApoA-I levels in transgenic mice expressing human ApoA-I. MPSO was found to diminish cholesterol efflux in vitro.{14273} Korean pine seed oil supplements may help in obesity by reduction of appetite. People taking this oil had an increase in the satiety hormones CCK and GLP-1 and a reduced desire to eat.{14280} The activity of the oil is attributed to pinolenic acid. Due to the non-methylene-interrupted double bond at the ?5 position, pinolenic acid is not converted to arachidonic acid metabolically. Pinoleic acid can reduce arachidonic acid levels in the phosphatidylinositol fraction of Hep-G2 cells from 15.9% to 7.0%.{8724} Pinolenic acid methyl ester is a neutral, more lipophilic form of the free acid.