Dear Editor,
Pinene (C10H16) is a well-known group of monoterpenes and the main component of turpentine, which is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from coniferous trees, particularly those of the genus Pinus (Mercier et al., 2009[31]; Al-Tel et al., 2020[1]). Pinene can be divided into two structural isomers: α-pinene (α-pinene) and beta-pinene (β-pinene). α- and β-pinene are mainly produced by pine trees and many other conifers, as well as a wide range of herbs such as rosemary, parsley, basil, and even orange peel (Erman and Kane, 2008[9]; Vespermann et al., 2017[45]).
α-pinene, the most abundant monoterpene in the atmosphere, accounts for more than 50 % of global monoterpene emissions and is a major component of phytoncides (Bagchi et al., 2020[2]; Li et al., 2009[27]). Phytoncides are antimicrobial allelochemical volatile organic compounds that are related to forest healing and activation of recreational forests. Trees are considered one of the major emitters of phytoncides (Li, 2010[26]).
A wide range of pharmacological activities of α- and β-pinene have been reported, such as anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, anti-leishmania, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, analgesic, and antibiotic resistance modulation effects (Türkez and Aydın, 2016[42]; Salehi et al., 2019[40]). These monoterpenes exhibit various biological activities and have a wide range of applications, including development of antimicrobial and antiviral agents, flavors, fragrances, and fungicidal agents (Rivas da Silva et al., 2012[38]; Yang et al., 2013[49]). Herein, we summarize the recent published findings on the biological and pharmacological activities of pinene (Table 1(Tab. 1); References in Table 1: Bouzenna et al., 2017[3]; Cardoso et al., 2020[4]; Chen et al., 2015[5]; de Macêdo et al., 2018[6]; do Amaral et al., 2020[7]; Ensaka and Sakamoto, 2020[8]; Felipe et al., 2019[10]; Govindarajan et al., 2016[11]; Hou et al., 2019[12]; İnce et al., 2018[13]; Jensen et al., 2020[14]; Jo et al., 2021[15]; Karthikeyan et al., 2018[17], 2019[16]; Kasuya et al., 2015[18]; Khoshnazar et al., 2019[19], 2020[20]; Kim et al., 2015[21]; Kovač et al., 2015[22]; Kusuhara et al., 2019[23]; Langsi et al., 2020[24]; Lee et al., 2017[25]; Li et al., 2016[28]; Memariani et al., 2017[29]; Meng et al., 2020[30]; Min et al., 2020[32]; Moreira et al., 2016[33]; Nóbrega et al., 2020[34]; Pajaro-Castro et al., 2017[35]; Pinheiro et al., 2015[36]; Porres-Martínez et al., 2016[37]; Rodrigues et al., 2015[39]; Šimunović et al., 2020[41]; Ueno et al., 2019[44], 2020[43]; Wang et al., 2019[46]; Xu et al., 2018[47]; Yang et al., 2016[48]; Zamyad et al., 2019[50]; Zhang et al., 2015[52], 202[51]0; Zhao et al., 2018[53]).