Grape Seed
Vitis vinifera
Description: The plant is a 30 cm high climbing vine with heavily-branched roots, a woody trunk, orbicular leaves, and globular fruit with pear-shaped seeds. It is indigenous to southern Europe and western Asia; however, it is now cultivated in temperate regions around the world. The medicinal parts of the plant include the leaves, fruit, and juice.
Composition: The grape seed oil contains compounds including essential fatty acids and tocopherols (vitamin E). The grape seed extract contains procyanidins.
Actions: Acts as a free-radical scavenger. Exerts a dose-dependent antilipoperoxidant activity. Acts as a non-competitive inhibitor of proteolytic enzymes including collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase. Provides beneficial effects on the symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency and on ophthalmologic conditions (the resistance to glare, ocular stress, and retinal functionality).
Uses: Grape seed extract has been used by some people in treatment of various circulatory disorders including varicose veins, hypoxia associated with atherosclerosis, inflammation, and myocardial or cerebral infarction. The grape seed oil has also been used as a source of supplemental essential fatty acids and tocopherols in the diet.
Contraindications: The tocopherol content of grape seed may increase the effects of warfarin and increase the risk of bleeding when both grape seed extraxt and warfarin are used at the same time.
Administration: For dogs, give 0.5 to 0.9 mg of standardized extract per pound body weight by mouth daily. Grape seed extract is available as tablets or capsules.