Pine nut oil

Pine nuts (pinon or pignolia) are the edible seeds within the pine cone of several varieties of pine trees (Pinus sp.) but most commonly Pinus pinea or stone pine . Pine nuts are harvested all over the world, most notably in Russia, China, North Korea, Spain, Italy, and Turkey, among others. Pine nuts contain 48-61% lipids by weight (1, 60). Other constiments of pine nut include carbohydrate (19.3%), protein (11.6%), water (5.9%), and ash (2.2%) (1). Pine nut oil contains predominantly linoleic acid (46.4%) and oleic acid (38.1%). Maritime pine nut Pinus pinaster) oil also contains two fatty acids that are unique among tree nut oils pinoleic acid and sciadonic acid (Figure 2), which exist at 7% each in pine nut oU and may have antiatherogenic effects (Table 8) (63). The phenolic acid composition of defatted pine nut meal is given in Table 2 and shows that caffeic acid is the predominant phenolic compound (14). 

Squalene is a precursor for steroid biosynthesis and may have cardioprotective and cancer-preventative properties. Though nuts are known to contain squalene, the limited literature available indicates that the pine nut contains a relatively low amount of squalene compared to other nuts [8]. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that pine nut oil had a squalene content of about 40mg/100g oil, which is approximately 23mg/100 nuts. Thus, they would not be a likely choice for a squalene-based nutraceutical however, this study did not report the species of pine nut measured, and variability between species of other compounds of interest may indicate that a different species could provide higher squalene content. 

In summary, pine nut shows promise in lowering cholesterol and therefore risk for CVD. The research is at times contradictory and sometimes shows detrimental effects. This is possibly due to the use of animal models that are inherently and sometimes unknowingly limited in (heir appUcabihty to human diseases. Additional animal and human studies are required to understand the effects of pine nut or its individual components, such as pinolenic acid, on plasma lipids and ultimately CVD risk. It deserves mention that other chemical components in pine nut oils such as phytochemicals may contribute to its observed biological effects, and other components in the nut such as dietary fiber may also have potential cholesterol-lowering activity. Additional research is essential to investigate other components in pine nut and its effects on blood lipids. 

While there is a good amount of research on the health benefits of nuts in general, there has been relatively little research dedicated to the pine nut specifically. Perhaps, this is not without reason, as it is already one of the most expensive nuts shelled pine nuts range from 20 to 35/kg and pine nut oils from 70 to 140/L [1]. The pine nut is largely harvested from natural forests, and good crops come an average of once every 3 to 5 years, causing demand to far exceed production for some years [1]. 

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