Pharmacological activity of Abies pindrow.

The widely known tree Abies pindrow (Talisapatra) (family: Pinaceae), famous for its diverse clinical uses in Ayurvedic medicines, was investigated to rationalise some of the ancient claims. The petroleum ether (PE), benzene (BE), chloroform (CE), acetone (AE) and ethanol (EE) extracts of A. pindrow leaf were found to have mast cell stabilizing action in rats. The EE, AE and BE extracts offered bronchoprotection against histamine challenge in guinea-pigs. The BE, CE and PE extracts had protective role in aspirin-induced ulcer in rats. The results suggest that while terpenoids, flavonoids, glycosides and steroids are involved in mast cell protection, terpenoids and flavonoids are brochoprotective against histamine-induced bronchospasm. The ulcer protective action of PE, BE and CE fractions of A. pindrow may be attributable to steroids contents only because though all the extracts tested positive for glycosides, the extracts EE and AE did not have any ulcer protective role.