An overview of Pistacia integerrima a medicinal plant species: Ethnobotany, biological activities and phytochemistry

Abstract

Pistacia integerrima with a common name crab's claw is an ethnobotanically important tree native to Asia. Traditionally plant parts particularly its galls have been Utilized for treatment of cough, asthma, dysentery, liver disorders and for snake bite. Plant mainly contains alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and sterols in different parts including leaf, stem, bark, galls and fruit. A number of terpenoid,. sterols and phenolic compounds have be isolated from Pistacia integerrima extracts. Plant has many biological activities including anti-microbial, antioxidant, analgesic, cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity due to its chemical constituents. This review covers its traditional ethnomedicinal uses along with progresses in biological and phytochemical evaluation of this medicinally important plant species and aims to serve as foundation for further exploration and utilization.

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Pak. J. Pharm. Sci., Vol.28, No.3, May 2015, pp.1009-1013 1009
REVIEW
An overview of Pistacia integerrima a medicinal plant species:
Ethnobotany, biological activities and phytochemistry
Yamin Bibi1, Muhammad Zia2 and Abdul Qayyum3
1Department of Botany, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan
2Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan
3Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Haripur, Pakistan
Abstract: Pistacia integerrima with a common name crab’s claw is an ethnobotanically important tree native to Asia.
Traditionally plant parts particularly its galls have been utilized for treatment of cough, asthma, dysentery, liver disorders
and for snake bite. Plant mainly contains alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins and sterols in different parts including
leaf, stem, bark, galls and fruit. A number of terpenoids, sterols and phenolic compounds have been isolated from
Pistacia integerrima extracts. Plant has many biological activities including anti-microbial, antioxidant, analgesic,
cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity due to its chemical constituents. This review covers its traditional ethnomedicinal uses
along with progresses in biological and phytochemical evaluation of this medicinally important plant species and aims to
serve as foundation for further exploration and utilization.
Keywords: Pistacia integerrima, bioactivities, phytochemistry, ethnobotany.
INTRODUCTION
Botany
Pistacia integerrima belonging to family Anacardiaceae is
a dioecious tree native to Asia widely distributed in East
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North West & West Himalaya
to Kumaon growing at an altitude of 800-1900m (Pant
and Samant, 2010). Crab’s claw and zebrawood are the
common names for this medicinally important plant
species however it has different vernacular names in
Pakistan (shnai, khanjar, thoak) and India (kakroi,
kakring, kakra, kakkar, kakar singhi, kakarsinghi) (Orwa
et al., 2009). Pistacia integerrima has single stem with
many branches and large pinnately compound leaves.
Leaves are up to 25cm long consisting of 2 to 6 pairs of
lanceolate leaflets (fig. 2). Flowers are reddish in colour
arranged in panicles. Globular fruits (4-6mm diameter)
are purple to blue in colour (Padulosi et al., 2002; Flora of
Pakistan, 1969).
Pistacia integerrima is well pronounced due to galls
present on the leaves and petioles. These galls are horn
shaped, rugose and hollow formed due to insect attack of
Pemphigus species. The galls are considered as store
houses of secondary metabolites so have importance in
indian traditional medicine system (Chopra et al., 1982)
Ethnobotany
Pistacia integerrima is traditionally used against a
number of remedies and is considered a plant having
treatment of common diseases such as coughs, appetite,
dyspeptic vomiting, phthisis, asthma and dysentery
(Aggarwal et al., 2006; Chopra et al., 1986; Munir et al.,
2011; Pant and Samant, 2010; Khan et al., 2012). Galls of
Pistacia integerrima are bitter in taste, aromatic and used
as expectorant as well as tonic. Roasted galls are taken
with honey for cough asthma and diarrhoea in northern
areas of Pakistan (Abbasi et al., 2010). Furthermore galls
are also used against hepatitis and other liver disorders in
Pakistan (Uddin et al., 2011). Galls in combination of
other drugs are also used against snake bite and scorpion
sting (Ahmad et al., 2010). Bark of Pistacia integerrima
is boiled in water and extract is used for jaundice and
hepatitis in some regions of Pakistan (Islam et al., 2006).
Stem resin is used in wounds healing (Hussain et al.,
2007). Fruits are edible and also used against liver
disorders (Abbasi et al., 2009; Munir et al., 2011) (table
1). Besides traditional medicinal uses Pistacia
integerrima stem and branches are used as fuel wood,
construction and ornamental wood in some regions of
Pakistan (Hussain et al., 2007; Jan et al., 2008; Sher et
al., 2011). Leaves of Pistacia integerrima are used as
fodder for cattle (Jan et al., 2008).
Biological activities
Researchers have been in continuous struggle to explore
and find plants having a wide range of activities from
antibiotic to anticancer and Pistacia integerrima
represents one of those plants having broad-spectrum
activities
Antimicrobial activity
There is an increase demand of anti-microbial natural
products in present era due to increasing resistance of
microbes for synthetic drugs as well as due to their bio
*Corresponding author: e-mail: yamin.phd@gmail.com

An overview of pistacia integerrima a medicinal plant species: Ethnobotan, biological activities and phytochemistry
Pak. J. Pharm. Sci., Vol.28, No.3, May 2015, pp.1009-1013
1010
friendly nature. Pistacia integerrima is well known for its
medicinal importance. Antibacterial and antifungal
activity of Pistacia integrrima stem was determined
however, less antibacterial activity and more antifungal
activity was observed (Aqil and Ahmad, 2003). Crude and
fractionated extracts of Pistacia integerrima stem was
tested against different pathogenic bacteria. Crude extract
showed maximum activity against Pseudomonas picketti.
All fractions showed pronounced activity against
Salmonella setubal and Staphylococcus aureus, however,
maximum inhibition (19.66mm) was shown by aqueous
fraction against Bacillus subtilis (Bibi et al., 2011).
Methanolic bark extract of Pistacia integerrima and
solvent based fractions were subjected to anti-microbial
activity and outstanding antibacterial activity was shown
by ethyl acetate fraction against Staphylococcus aureus,
however, extracts proved inactive for anti-fungal activity
(Shafiq ur Rehman et al., 2011).
Fig. 1: Graphical Abstract: Ethnobotany, Bioactivities and
Phytochemistry
Antioxidant activity
Plant based antioxidants played a vital role in curing
oxidative stress damage in human beings. Pistacia
integerrima was also found a good source of antioxidants
due to its phenolic constituents. Antioxidant activity of
Pistacia integerrima leaf and gall extract was studied and
IC50 values were found in the range of 19-33 (µg/ml) in
the case of gall extract and 59-85 (µg/ml) for leaf extracts
(Ahmad et al., 2006). Significant radical scavenging and
xanthine oxidase inhibitory activities were also observed
in leaf extracts of Pistacia integerrima (Ahmad et al.,
2008).
Toxicity and other activities
Pistacia integerrima is placed in ayurvedic anticancer
plant medicines (Aggarwal et al., 2006). Fractionated
stem extract of Pistacia integerrima has proved cytotoxic
against breast cancer cell line MCF-7 (Bibi, 2011). Bark
extract of Pistacia integerrima and its solvent based
fractions were also subjected to phytotoxic studies and
ethyl acetate fraction inhibited Lemna minor significantly
(90%) followed by chloroform and methanol fraction
suggesting their phytotoxic composition (Shafiq ur
Rehman et al., 2011). Galls of Pistacia integerrima were
reported to have significant analgesic and anti-
inflammatory activity (Ansari and Ali, 1996). Galls were
found more potent than leaves as far as analgesic and anti-
inflammatory activities were concerned however no acute
toxicity was found in oral administration of extracts
(Ahmad et al., 2010). Galls of Pistacia integerrima were
also known to lower uric acid content in mice in a dose
dependent manner (Ahmad et al., 2006). Aqueous extract
of Pistacia integerrima was found effective in the
treatment of hepatic injury in CCl4 treated rats (Khan et
al., 2004). Pistacia integerrima galls and leaves extracts
have proved anti-nociceptive and analgesic on mice with
no apparent acute toxicity on oral administration (Ahmad
et al., 2010). Bark extract of plant has also proved to have
analgesic and anti gastrointestinal motility effect (Ismail
et al., 2012).
Fig. 2: Pistacia Integerrima: Leaves and galls
Phytochemical evaluation
Importance of phytochemicals as candidate for drug
development is understood (Gurumurthy et al., 2008).
Phytochemicals can also act as a source of precursors for
synthetic drugs (Jack and Okorosaye-Orubite, 2008).
Galls of Pistacia integerrima gained special attention of
phytochemists due to their traditional medicinal uses,
however stem, bark, and leaf were also investigated
phytochemically. Geneally Pistacia integerrima contain
different phytochemicals including alkaloids, flavonoids,
tannins, saponins, sterols and essential oils.
Phytochemical analysis of Pistacia integerrima leaf was
carried out and was found to contain carotenoids,
triterpenoids, catechins and flavonoids (Ansari et al.,
1993; Ansari et al., 1994). Uddin et al. (2011a)
investigated qualitative phytochemical comparison
between galls, bark leaf and root exracts of Pistacia
integerrima. Screening study revealed presence of
alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids and tannins in galls
extract, terpenoids and flavonoids in bark and leaves

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Pak. J. Pharm. Sci., Vol.28, No.3, May 2015, pp.1009-1013 1011
while roots of Pistacia integerrima were found to contain
terpenoids and tannins. Fruits of Pistacia integerrima
reported to possess tannins, essential oil, resin,
pistacienoic acid, triterpene alcohol and triterpenoic acid
(Prajapati et al., 2006). Methanol extract and its ethyl
acetate fraction of Pistacia integerrima were found to
contain phenolics and flavonoids (Joshi and Mishra,
2009).
Fig. 3: Compounds isolated from galls of Pistacia
integerrima. (a) Hydroxydecanyl arachidate, (b)
Octadecan-9, 11-diol-7-one, (c) β-Sitosterol, (d)
Pisticialanstenoic acid
Steam distilled oils were isolated from galls of Pistacia
integerrima. Investigation revealed that oil possesses
CNS depressant activity (Ansari et al., 1993). GC MS
analysis of galls and bark oil revealed a large number of
volatile components where bark oil consist of 82%
whereas galls 91% monterpenes. Main constituents of
galls oil were found as β-pinene, sabinene,α-pinene and
limonene while terpinen-4-ol, α-terpinol, α-pinene in
bark oil (Ansari et al., 1998). Atta-ur-Rahman (2000)
isolated lanostanes from galls proved highly potent anti
inflammatory even in minute quantities. Pistacienoic
acids, was determined using simplified methods by HPLC
and HPTLC (Chauhan et al., 2002).
Different isolation studies were conducted on galls extract
of Pistacia integerrima and led to purification of
hydroxydecanyl arachidate, octadecan-9, 11-diol-7-one,
β-sitosterol and pisticialanstenoic acid (fig. 3) (Ahmad et
al., 2010 a &b), phenolic constituents characterised as
14′-phenoxytetradecany 3,5-dihydroxy benzoate
(pistiphloro-glucinyl ester) 2, 4′-phenoxy-n-butyl-1′-(3-
oxy-5-hydroxy) benzoic acid (pistaciaphenyl ether) 3 and
3′-(1,3-dihydroxy-5-phenoxy-1′,5′-dimethoxbenzene
(pisticiphloro-glucinyl ether) (Ahmad et al., 2011).
Furthermore ethyl gallate was isolated from galls of
Pistacia integerrima and suggested good for anti-
inflammatory diseases (Mehla et al., 2011).
Farman (2005) studied the polyphenolic contents in the
leaves of Pistacia integerrima. Betasitosterol in addition
to a new compound was isolated from cytotoxic
chloroform and ethyl acetate fraction of methanol stem
extract (Bibi, 2011). Pistagremic acid was isolated from
whole plant extract of Pistacia integerrima and exhibited
significant leishmanicidal activity (IC (50):
6.71±0.09µM) against Leishmania major (DESTO)
promastigotes in comparison to standard compound
amphotericin (Uddin et al., 2011b).
CONCLUSION
In conclusion Pistacia integerrima is a good candidate for
new drug development inspite of wide range of its
phytochemicals and bioactivities supported from its
traditional uses. There is a dire need to further explore and
standardize this medicinally important species up to
clinical trials and approval.
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Table 1: Ethnomedicinal importance of Pistacia integerrima
Parts Administration mode / form Ethnomedicinal Use Reference
Stem/Branches Topical Stem resin as wound healer Hussain et al., 2007
Bark Decoction Hepatitis & Jaundice Islam et al., 2006
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