Phytochemistry, Biological, and Pharmacological Properties of Abies alba Mill.

Abstract

Abies alba Mill. (Pinaceae), silver fir, is a widespread gymnosperm species in Europe, important for its ecological, economic, social, and cultural significance, as well as for its use for food and bioremediation purposes. The various parts of the plant (leaves, branches, cones, wood, bark) are also of pharmaceutical interest due to their composition of active compounds. In the last three decades, an impressive amount of research has been dedicated to this species. The variability of the chemical composition of essential oils (whether they come from leaves, oleoresin from branches, or other parts of the plant) is impressive, even in the case of specimens collected from the same geographical area. For essential oils prepared from needles or twigs and branches, limonene, β-pinene, α-pinene, camphene, β-phellandrene, and bornyl acetate are the leading compounds, although their wide variations seem to correspond to multiple chemotypes. Both bark and wood are rich in lignans and phenolic compounds. Matairesinol is apparently the dominant lignan in bark, and secoisolariciresinol and lariciresinol are the dominant ones in wood samples. Pharmacological studies with promising results have evaluated the antioxidant effect (mainly due to essential oils), but also the antimicrobial, antitumor, probiotic, antidiabetic, anti-steatosis, and anti-psoriatic activities.

Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils from Pinaceae Species

“…[ 155 ], P. parviflora [ 84 ], P. peuce [ 92 , 160 ], P. pinaster [ 83 , 139 , 164 ], P. pinea L. [ 51 , 101 , 139 , 146 , 152 , 165 ], P. ponderosa [ 166 ], P. resinosa [ 166 ], P. rigida [ 147 ], P. roxburghii [ 82 , 101 , 167 , 168 , 169 , 170 , 171 ], P. sibirica [ 66 , 172 ], P. strobus [ 159 , 166 ], P. succinifera [ 173 ], P. sylvestris [ 92 , 160 , 172 , 174 , 175 , 176 , 177 , 178 ], P. wallichiana [ 159 ], P. thunbergia [ 76 , 147 ], Abies alba Mill. [ 39 , 179 , 180 , 181 , 182 ], A. balsamea [ 44 , 183 ], A. cephalonica Loudon [ 184 …”

Functional Characterization and Catalytic Activity Improvement of Borneol Acetyltransferase from Wurfbainia longiligularis

“…Plants that are rich in BA have multifaceted and significant medicinal properties. 7,8 In addition to their well-known anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, these plants also possess antimicrobial and antidiarrheal properties, which make them useful in treating a wide range of conditions. 9,10 The effects of BA have been reported to include analgesic, antioxidant, whitening, anticancer, antitumor, antibacterial, insecticidal, and anesthetic properties.…”

“…Bornyl acetate (BA), a bicyclic monoterpenoid ester, is a typical volatile compound found in various plants such as Wurfbainia longiligularis, Wurfbainia villosa ( Zingiberaceae ), Inula graveolens ( Asteraceae ), Laurus nobilis ( Lauraceae ), among others. Plants that are rich in BA have multifaceted and significant medicinal properties. , In addition to their well-known anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, these plants also possess antimicrobial and antidiarrheal properties, which make them useful in treating a wide range of conditions. , The effects of BA have been reported to include analgesic, antioxidant, whitening, anticancer, antitumor, antibacterial, insecticidal, and anesthetic properties. Furthermore, it has been found to have antianxiety effects when used in combination with other aromatic compounds in the volatile oil. , However, due to the production of toxic substances in the chemical synthesis of BA, it is primarily derived from plant extracts.…”

Responses of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) seedlings from different geographical locations to low temperature stress

“…Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is one of the most important forest trees in Central Europe, particularly in mountainous terrain and in the continent's southern and eastern regions (Ancuceanu et al, 2023). It is acknowledged as a valuable forest species due to its numerous uses (Todea et al, 2019;Todea et al, 2020).…”