Ethnobotanical and Pharmacological Importance of Western Himalayan Fir Abies pindrow (Royle ex D. Don) Royle: A Review

Abstract

Aims: Abies pindrow (Royle ex D. Don) Royle., colloquially known as the Western Himalayan fir, is a conifer that grows along the Himalayan mountains from Afghanistan to Nepal. The plant is extensively used by locals for the treatments of various ailments. Thus based on the available reports about its importance in traditional system of medicine, an attempt has been made to review this species in context of its medicinal and pharmaceutical importance.
 Study Design: The review article has been designed based on literature survey. The article is grossly divided into four broad phases consisting of compiled information of Abies pindrow: (1) Ethnobotanical information (2) Chemical Constituents (3) Pharmacological activities (4) Discussion mainly highlighting the mode of action of the bioactive compounds in relation to its pharmacological activity.
 Methodology: Extensive literature search have been performed in the web using PubMed, PubMed Central, google scholar as search platform. Efforts have also been taken to compile information from research papers and review articles not more than 10 years old. Information from old literatures were preferably avoided unless found to be very relevant to the subject.
 Results: The literature survey revealed that the plant has been used to treat cough and cold, diabetes, cataract and bladder diseases. The plant is also considered to be carminative, astringent, antispasmodic, diuretic, tonic and anti-inflammatory. The plant is also rich in terpenes and terpene alcohols. Testing for antidiabetic, neuroprotective, anticataract and antixiolytic activities have been promising and the bioactive constituents and efforts are made to interpret the possible mechanism of action of bioactive compounds in bringing about the pharmacological activities.
 Conclusion: It is concluded that the plant can be explored and bioprospected for an affordable source of drug and nutraceutical for better management of health related issues of people of Indian subcontinent.

Trends in diabetes care with special emphasis to medicinal plants: Advancement and treatment

“… S.No. Plant Family Chemical constituents Antidiabetic action References 1 Abies pindrow Pinaceae Globulol, maltol, borneol, linalool Stimulation of insulin secretion Sinha et al, 2019 2 Acacia arabica Fabaceae Mallic acid, chlorogenic acid, catechin, epicatechin, chiorogenic acid, ellagic acid, corosolic acid, Increasing the release of insulin Hegazy et al (2013) , Bharti et al (2018) 3 Achyranthes rubrofusca Amaranthaceae Betulinic acid, momordin Ib, zingibroside R1, Achyranthoside IV Reduction of blood glucose level and restore pancreatic enzymatic activity Geetha et al (2011) ; He et al (2017) 4 Agrimony eupatoria Rosaceae 4-caffeoylquinic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoyl quinic acid and luteolin-7-O-glucoside Insulin-like and insulin releasing activity Kuczmannová et al (2016) 5 Albizzia lebbeck Fabaceae Albizziahexoside, lupeol, docosanoic acid, oleanolic acid, beta- sitosterol α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitor activity Verma et al (2013) ; Ahmed et al (2014) 6 Aloe vera Asphodelaceae lophenol, and cycloartanol Inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes Tanaka et al (2006) ; Muñiz-Ramirez et al (2020) 7 Amaranthus tricolor Amaranthaceae …”

ABIES PINDROW (Royle ex D. Don) - AN ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FIR OF WESTERN HIMALAYA

“…The tree's leaves and bark are used as feed. Its cones are also recognized to be highly attractive and are used for decoration (Sinha, 2019) Therapeutically, the species has been reported to possess a pivotal place in Ayurveda since ancient times; it exhibits antiinflammatory, antispasmodic, anti-diabetic (Sinha, 2019) carminative, stomachic and astringent properties (Hasnain et al, 2013) and is used in treating fever, bronchitis, hypoglycemia, inflammation and hemoptysis.…”

Pharmacognostic Studies and Anti-Microbial Investigation of Bark, Roots, and Cones of Pinus Roxburghii Sargent

“…The bark contains about 7-10% of tannins and flavonoids including gallocatechin, rhamnetin, and myricetin. Needles and bark also contain flavonoid glycosides, phenolic acids, and terpenyl alcohols (Kumari et al, 2017), (Sinha and Tandon, 2018). Turpentine oil of the plant is employed as a solvent in formulations of the drug, the perfume industry, the production of synthetic pine oil, pesticides, and disinfectants.…”