http://hbcprotocols.com/opc/ Not to be confused with pedestrian grape seed and pine bark extracts (Which are non specific names and have no patents), Masquelier’s® OPC is derived from French maritime pine bark as well as vitis venisera (grape seed) which contains different monomers; catechins, and epicatechins–a momimer unique to venis venisera grape seed, where as in pine bark you have catechins and taxifolin–a monomer unique to opc’s extracted from maritime pine bark. There's a lot more good information on their website about this product. It's $76 for a three month supply
Im not sure if this helps Pycnogenol® (Horphag Research), a branded form of pine bark extract, In this study they used the branded Pycnogenol® made by Horphag Research http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Pycnogenol+and+meniere's Improvement in symptoms and cochlear flow with pycnogenol in patients with Meniere's disease and tinnitus. 2014 June Luzzi R1, Belcaro G, Hu S, Dugall M, Hosoi M, Cacchio M, Ippolito E, Corsi M. AIM: The aim of this supplement registry was to evaluate the efficacy of the Pycnogenol® in improving cochlear flow and symptoms in a 6-month follow-up for patients with Meniere's disease (MD), tinnitus and cochlear hypoperfusion. METHODS: Main signs/symptoms were considered: Spontaneous vertigo, positional vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, pressure in the ear, unsteady gait, associated clinical problems, alterations in daily life. All subjects were managed with the best available management (BM); one group used the supplement Pycnogenol (150 mg/day). Cochlear flow and tinnitus were also evaluated. Out of 120 patients incuded in the registry, 55 used Pycnogenol and 52 (controls) were managed only with BM. RESULTS: There was a more significant improvement in all registry items at 3 and 6 months in the Pycnogenol group (P<0.05). The number of lost working days was lower in the Pycnogenol group. At 3 months, 45.4% of subjects using Pycnogenol were completely asymptomatic in comparison with 23.07% of controls. At 6 months 87.3% of the Pycnogenol subjects were asymptomatic compared with 34.6% of controls. Cochlear flow velocity was significantly better (higher flow, higher diastolic component) in the Pycnogenol group (P<0.05). The subjective tinnitus scale decreased in both groups (P<0.05); the decrease was more significant in Pycnogenol subjects (P<0.05) at 3 and 6 months. CONCLUSION: Symptoms of Meniere's disease, flow at cochlear level and tinnitus improved in Pycnogenol subjects in comparison with best management. Horphag Research website http://www.pycnogenol.com/
Horphag Research stole MASQUELIER's ideas and made a less potent product. Masquelier is the one who first learned how to get the most out of French Maritime Pine Bark. I am no scientist or biologist so I don't understand all the lingo but I am thinking from what I have been reading that Masquelier's product is superior to Horphag. I was hoping John or Vicki might look into this issue and let me know what they really think. I am aware of the Horphag study but I am also wondering if those that conducted the study weren't paid be Horphag.
I have no idea but I do know a lot of companies offer French maritime pine bark in fact I give an extract of it to my dogs for over a year now for their tumors, each bottle is made up fresh by a western herbalist in Australia.