Ethnobotany and pharmacology of Pinus species growing naturally in Indian Himalayas: A plant review.

Pinus species found in the Indian Himalayas is among most commonly used medicinal plant in Northwestern. Nearly all parts of the plant especially needles are believed to possess medicinal and clinical values in traditional system of medicine be it Ayurvedic, Unani or Homeopathic systems of medicine. In these traditional systems of medicine, different part of pines are used to heal numerous diseases, including afflictions of the skin, eyes, throats and ears. Various parts of plant including needles are rich in various biologically active compounds such as thunbergol, 3-carene, cembrene, α-pinene, quercetin, xanthone etc. This review focuses on presenting a detailed analysis of various ethnopharmacognosical studies on the needles of different Pinus species growing naturally in northwestern region of Indian Himalayas. Careful evaluation of the data presented may be helpful for researchers to discover and evaluate the specific chemical entities responsible for the traditional medicinal uses of P. roxburghii, P.wallichiana, P. merkusii, P.kesiya and P.thunbergii.