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. 2019 Nov 14;9(11):738. doi: 10.3390/biom9110738

Table 8.

Bioavailability of α-pinene and β-pinene.

Exposure Uptake Distribution Elimination
Exhale Air Blood Urine
Inhalation (8 volunteers, with light exercise-50W) [81,95,96]
α-pinene (+) 2 h 450, 225, or 10 mg/m3 Relative net uptake 59–62% * tmax 120 min

cmax 20 µMol/L(for 450 mg/m3)
cmax 10 µMol/L(for 225 mg/m3)
(exposure concentration depended) * cmax 10 µMol/L
7.7% cl21h
1.9 lkg−1h−1
0.001% In 30 min

4% of total uptake as cis and trans verbenol
t1/2 (3 phases α, β, γ)
α-4.8 min
β-38 min
γ-695 min
α-pinene (−) 450 mg/m3 7.5% cl21h
1.16 lkg−1h−1
t1/2
α-5.6 min
β-40 min
γ-555 h
β-pinene 450 mg/m3 * Relative net uptake 66% * cmax 3 µMol/L * * 5.7% * cl21h
0.5 lkg−1h−1
* t1/2
α-5.3 min
β-41 min
γ-25 h
Not available
Dermal application in vitro [93], Ex vivo [92]
α-pinene 1000 µL
(concentration is not provided) for 27 h
Papp 6.49 × 10−5 cm/s
100 mg/cm2 applied on 0.65 cm2 at 37 °C ¥ cmax 40 µg/cm2
tmax 15 min in SC
β-pinene 1000 µL
(concentration is not provided) for 27 h
Papp 4.48 × 10−5 cm/s
100 mg/cm2 applied on 0.65 cm2 at 37 °C ¥ cmax 290 µg/cm2
tmax 60 min in SC
Oral administration (four volunteers) [89]
α-pinene 9 mg (66 µmol) Unmetabolized state—not detected (<4 µg/L) t1/2
MYR-1.7 h
tVER-1.0 h
cVER-0.8 h
tmax 1.6 h
(metabolites)
tmax
1–3 h Metabolites
t1/2
MYR-1.5 h cVER and tVER-1.6 h
MYRA-1.4 h
cmax
MYR-11 µM
tVER-26 µM
cVER-9.3 µM
cl24h
MYR-1.5%, cVER-5.6%, tVER-4.1%
MYRA-6.7%.
78% unknown elimination, which could be exhalation or first-pass metabolism

* Chamber vapour proportions α-pinene-54%, β-pinene-11%, 3-carene-35%; ¥ α-pinene 4.8%, β-pinene 1.1%, eucalyptol 3.3%, camphor 5.7%, and menthol 3.8%; trans-verbenol (tVER), cis-verbenol (cVER), myrtenol (MYR), myrtenic acid (MYRA), αPNM3, and αPN-M1, which are metabolites of α-pinene.