Abstract

TALISAPTRA: ONE NAME, THREE BOTANICAL SOURCES- A CRITICAL REVIEW OF IDENTITY CONTROVERSY AND CONTEMPORARY CHEMICAL FINGERPRINTING EVIDENCE

Dr. Shruti*, Dr. Vijayalaxmi P. B.

Abstract

Tālisapatra is an important aromatic Himalayan drug used in Ayurvedic practice, particularly in disorders involving the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. However, its botanical identity has historically been controversial, with Abies webbiana and species of Taxus being associated with the drug name Tālisapatra/Tālisapatrī in Indian medicinal literature. The problem is clinically and pharmacognostically relevant because dried and powdered leaves of Abies webbiana and Taxus baccata can be difficult to distinguish, while their chemical compositions, pharmacological profiles and toxicological characteristics are substantially different. In the present review, three Himalayan or Himalayan-associated taxa—Abies webbiana (Abies spectabilis), Taxus baccata, and Rhododendron anthopogon—are evaluated. The review integrates Ayurvedic identity, synonyms, distribution, morphology, useful part, Rasapañcaka, Karma, therapeutic indications, formulations, pharmacognostic considerations, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological evidence and safety considerations. Particular attention is given to the comparative chemical-fingerprinting study of Vadivel et al. (2018), which directly compared Abies webbiana with Taxus baccata using UV–Visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, NMR, HPTLC and HPLC.

Keywords: Tālisapatra, Abies webbiana, Abies spectabilis, Taxus baccata, Rhododendron anthopogon, pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, HPTLC, HPLC, chemical fingerprint.