The efficacy and function of Abies odorifera

There are so many medicinal herbs in the world, and it is inevitable that there are some that we are not familiar with. But as long as we have the spirit of learning throughout our lives, I believe we can slowly learn more medical herbs. So do you know about the medicinal herb Abies odorifera?

【Other name】 Stinky pine

[Source] Medicinal material source: leaves and bark of Abies foetida of the Pinaceae family.

[Original form] Evergreen tree, up to 30m tall, with a chest circumference of about 50cm. When young, the bark is grayish white, smooth, and often has obvious transverse warty lenticels. The old bark is shallowly cracked longitudinally and block-shaped. The branches extend obliquely or spread out. The annual branches are yellowish brown or light grayish brown, densely covered with light brown short soft hairs. The winter buds are spherical and resinous. The leaves are linear, flat, straight or sickle-shaped, 1-3 cm long, about 1.5 mm wide, concave at the tip, and bifurcated. The leaves on the fruit branches have obtuse tips, green on the upper side, with two white stomatal bands on the lower side, and two meso-resin ducts in the cross section. Monoecious; male cones are cylindrical, about 1 cm long, and grow in clusters on two-year branches; female cones are slender cylindrical, purple-red, and grow in clusters on two-year branches, 4.5 cm long. The cones are cylindrical or oblong, 4.5-9.5cm long and 2-3cm in diameter. They are purple-black when ripe, and the fruit scales and seeds fall off at the same time when ripe. The fruit scales are kidney-shaped, about 1.2cm long and 1.8cm wide, with 2 lobes on each side; the bracts are obovate, with a slender tip at the tip, the fruit scales do not extend or extend slightly, and there is an acute tip in the concave part at the tip. The seeds are obovate-triangular, slightly flattened, 4-6mm long, with light brown seed wings, 4-5 cotyledons, linear, and concave at the tip.

[Habitat distribution] Ecological environment: Growing in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests at an altitude of 300-2100m.

[Properties] Identification of properties: The outer surface of the bark is gray, shallowly cracked or nearly smooth, and the inner surface is light yellowish white. The leaves are linear, 1.5-2.5cm long and about 1.5mm wide, with a concave or slightly cracked tip, rarely blunt tip, a concave midrib above, and no stomatal lines. However, the leaves of fruit branches have 2-4 stomatal lines near the tip, and the stomata below are white. The bark has a faint odor and a slightly bitter taste. The leaves have a faint odor and a light taste.

[Chemical composition] The needles contain lignan glycosides and acetophenone compounds. The volatile oil in the leaves contains 23 components, among which the higher content ones are bornyl acetate, camphene, limonene, borneol and α-bisabolol. It also contains flavonoids and their glycosides: kaempferol, quercetin, kaempferol-3-glucoside, isorhamnetin-3-gluccoside, quercetin-3-glucoside, and abietin. The bark contains quercetin, dihydroquercetin, and kaempferol. It also contains p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and glycoside compounds of these acids, as well as caffeic acid. The wood contains coniferaldehyde, vanillin, veratraldehyde, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, veratric acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. The resin contains dextrorotatory β-cedrol.

【Pharmacological action】 1. Central nervous system inhibitory effect 1.1. Sedative and anticonvulsant effects: Oral administration of 1.70ml/kg, 0.85ml/kg, and 0.425ml/kg of Abies odorifera essential oil to mice significantly reduced the spontaneous activity of mice, and very significantly increased the sleep time of sodium pentobarbital and the sleep rate of subthreshold doses. The sedative effect site was in the brainstem; it had a significant antagonistic effect on convulsions and electric convulsions caused by pentylenetetrazol, but had no significant effect on convulsions in mice caused by caffeine and strychnine.

【Functions and indications】Removing dampness and relieving pain. Main waist and leg pain

【Usage and Dosage】 For external use: appropriate amount, decocted into water for fumigation and washing.

【Excerpt】 Chinese Materia Medica

Through the detailed introduction of stinking fir in this article, we can learn about the relevant functions and eating methods of stinking fir. The value of fir can be seen from its efficacy, which fully reflects the importance of fir.