FAMILY — PINACEAE
Needles are shaped like spines, and seeds are contained in woody cones. The family consists of four genera: Abies (fir), Picea (spruce), Larix (larch), and Pinus (pine). The needles of larch fall off during winter.
Essential oils are found in all species in secretory canals in the needles, with pinene dominating the composition. In the wood of Pinus, Picea, and Larix, long resinous ducts containing resin and essential oil are present, while Abies lacks these ducts but has rounded resin-containing cavities in its bark. The needles of all species contain volatile phytoncides. Pine has the greatest medical importance.
A tall, slender tree with whorled branches and reddish-brown flaky bark. The needles are long, bluish-green, semi-cylindrical, stiff, and evergreen, arranged in pairs. The male cones are gray-yellow, appearing in spring on young shoots and quickly dying. Seed cones mature over 2–3 years, becoming woody.
Pine forests cover vast areas, accounting for 19.5% of the total area of coniferous forests in the European part and Siberia. A light-loving tree, it often forms pure stands. Its wide distribution is due to its ability to grow on various soils. Pine forests are usually associated with sandy or sandy-loam soils but can also grow on peat bogs, where growth is stunted, producing only weak trees.
Pine provides numerous products for medicine:
Pine buds (Turiones Pini or Gemmae Pini): Collected in early spring during swelling. The buds are cut with a knife in a crown shape around a central bud. The surface is covered with dry fringed scales glued together by resin. The buds have an aromatic, resinous smell and a bitter-resinous taste. They contain essential oils, resin, bitter and tannic substances, and are rich in vitamin C. They are used in diuretic and cough remedies.
Pine needles (Folium Pini): Fresh needles contain 80–300 mg% vitamin C, carotene, and vitamin K. Other coniferous trees with perennial needles—such as Siberian cedar, fir, and spruce—are also rich in vitamin C and can be used similarly. The vitamin C content peaks in winter. Needles are one of the most accessible raw materials for the vitamin industry.
Pine oil (Oleum Pini silvestris): Obtained from pine twigs (15–20 cm long) using steam distillation. The oil contains bornyl acetate (up to 11%), pinene (40%), and limonene (40%), among others. Pine oil is used to freshen air and as part of medications for kidney disease.
Turpentine (Terebinthina communis): Produced from resin (Terebinthina) extracted from cuts in pine bark. The resin contains essential oil and solidifies into colophony (Colophonium) after distillation. Turpentine oil (Oleum Terebinthinae) is used externally for rheumatism and respiratory conditions.
Pine extract: A byproduct of essential oil extraction, used in baths for its therapeutic properties.
Pine derivatives also have applications in veterinary medicine and the furniture industry (e.g., «Iglet» or «pine wool» as stuffing material).