Abstract: Pinolenic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid unique to the seeds of the pine,which accounts for 14%~19% of the total fatty acids of pine nut oil. At present,the purification methods of pinolenic acid are mainly urea packing method,solvent fractionation method,enzymatic method and so on.Pinotonic acid has a variety of physiological functions,such as lipid-lowering,appetite suppression,anti-inflammatory,inhibition of cancer metastasis,etc.,and it can be used for functional food additives and health care varieties.In this paper,the purification methods and physiological functions of pinolenic acid are reviewed,in order to provide reference for the subsequent development and utilization of pinolenic acid.