26 KEY INGREDIENTS days of Pycnogenol® consump- pycnogenol®promotes tion.The mediators arising from newsynthesisoFhyaluro - the cyclooxygenase (COX) and nicacidwithinthebody lipoxygenase (LOX) cascade mo- dulate or mediate many aspects Hyaluronic acid is a major consti- of inflammation. tuent of the synovial fluid (http://en- pycnogenol®lowers .wikipedia.org/wiki/Synovial_fluid inFlammatorymarker ) and was found to increase its vis- crp inosteoarthritis cosity playing the role in joint lubri- patients fication. Hyaluronic acid is also an important component of articular cartilage, the shock absorber of Pycnogenol® was demonstrated the joint.It contributes to the car- in a study with 55 osteoarthritis tilage resistance to compression. patients to significantly lower the A clinical study run in 20 healthy inflammatory marker C-reative volunteers demonstrated that protein (CRP) by 72%. Moreover, Pycnogenol® intake for 4 weeks this study found a significant re- increased gene expression of hya- duction of reactive oxygen species luronic acid synthase an enzyme in arthritis patients by 30% [Bel- critically involved in the synthesis caro et al., 2008]. This finding of hyaluronic acid by 44%. In ad- proves that the anti-inflammatory dition, the study revealed a noti- activity of Pycnogenol® is effective ceable increase in gene expres- in arthrtis patients. sion involved in collagen de novo synthesis [Marini et al. 2012]. This explains how Pycnogenol® contri- Pycnogenol®lowers inflammatory marker butes to restoring health in the da- CRP in osteoarthritis patients maged joint. Systemic Oxidative stress threeclinicaltrialswith CRP ROS pycnogenol®Forosteoar- -72% -30% thritis To date the improvement of osteoarthritis symptoms was vali-