Tree Bark May Alleviate Pain

The bark in Scotch pine trees may help arthritis and pain,according to results of a study reported in the Journal of Agriculturaland Food Chemistry (December 29, 2004). Scientists at theUniversity of Turku (Finland) identified the anti-inflammatory compoundsas phenolics—a class of highly active plant chemicalsthat have been increasingly linked with beneficial health effects.The researchers made the discovery while searching for healthyplant compounds that may be used to develop functional foodproducts or nutraceuticals. For the study, the researchers examinedseveral preparations from pine bark extract taken from theScotch pine. The researchers identified 28 compounds, some ofwhich indicated high biological activity.