IJOD, 2015, 3(1), 5-10 www.drugresearch.in Indian Journal of Drugs, 2015, 3(1), 5-10 ISSN: 2348-1684 PYCNOGENOL: THE HERCULES OF ANTIOXIDANTS Sameer Rastogi*, Vandana Arora, Vijay Bhalla School of Pharmacy, Lloyd Institute of Management & Technology, Plot no# 11, Knowledge park 2, Greater Noida UP. 201306, India. * For Correspondence: School of Pharmacy, Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot no-11, Knowledge park-2, Greater Noida-201306 ABSTRACT A super potent antioxidant known as Pycnogenol, which is the US trademark name for a product derived from the bark of a tree called Pinus pinaster. The active ingredients are known as proanthocynidins from grape seed, maritime pine bark that have proved to be 20 times more powerful than vitamin-C and 50 times than vitamin E. The role of Pycnogenol as an exceptional free radical scavenger is just beginning to emerge, and the protective potential of Pycnogenol is impressive, to say the least. It’s only a matter of time before scientific data supports the fact that this family of nutrients is far more effective in its antioxidant capacity than previously assumed. KEY WORDS: Antioxidant, Pycnogenol, Flavonoids, Free radical Received: 20.11.2014 Accepted: 22.03.2015 Access this article online Website: www.drugresearch.in Quick Response Code: INTRODUCTION irtually each and every day, most of us are exposed to a number of toxic substances. Auto exhaust, tobacco smoke, pollution, preservatives and additives continually assault our bio-cellular systems. As a result, our risk of getting a degenerative disease is significantly increased. In addition, the aging process itself is accelerated by the presence of free radicals. Consequently, premature tissue breakdown can occur. Inevitably, despite our best efforts, our environment will continue to surround us with potentially harmful pollutants. Certainly, there are several things we can do to minimize our health risks, including exercising, eating nutritiously and not smoking. Unfortunately, these measures are rarely enough to substantially decrease our risk of contracting certain degenerative diseases or of getting old before our time. While supplementing our diets with vitamins and minerals is strongly recommended, certain remarkable, natural substances exist which have recently come to the forefront of scientific research. The most promising of these may be a compound called Pycnogenol, and everyone seems to be talking about it. Pycnogenol has been associated with:  Reducing the Risk of Cancer  Affording Superior Protection against Toxins and Pollutants  Strengthening the Immune System to Fight Off New Viral Strains  The Prevention of Premature Aging and Degenerative Diseases What exactly is pycnogenol? Pycnogenol is a super antioxidant which consists of a highly bioavailable flavonoid called proanthocyanidin. This compound can be extracted from either pine bark or grape seed, and both sources are virtually identical. Biochemists will confirm that as a class, the proanthocyanidin bioflavonoids, regardless of their source, possess the same biochemical activity with very slight exceptions. V