Pharmacological activity of Abies pindrow

The widely known tree Abies pindrow (Talisapatra) (family: Pinaceae), famou s 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,gu inea-pigs. The BE, CE and PE extracts had protective role in aspirin-induce d ulcer in rats. The results suggest that while terpenoids, flavonoids, gly cosides and steroids are involved in mast cell protection, terpenoids and f lavonoids are brochoprotective against histamine-induced bronchospasm. The ulcer protective action of PE, BE and CE fractions of A. pindrow may be att ributable to steroids contents only because though all the extracts tested positive for glycosides, the extracts EE and AE did not have any ulcer prot ective role. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.