There are 3 types of Terminalia – arguna, belerica and chebula. Terminalia arjuna is used for cardiovascular conditions, including ischemic heart disease and angina, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, as well as in combination to lower cholesterol and to prevent necrosis of cardiac tissue. It is also used orally as a diuretic, for earaches, dysentery, venereal and urogenital diseases, and as an aphrodisiac.
The bark contains several active constituents, including Terminalia arjuna gallic acid, ethyl gallate, and the flavone luteolin. The bark of Terminalia arjuna is reported to be beneficial in cardiovascular conditions.
Terminalia arjuna is also reported to lower serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.
Clinical studies
Terminalia Arjuna Extract
Protective effects of Terminalia arjuna against Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity
Singh G, Singh AT, Abraham A, Bhat B, Mukherjee A, Verma R, Agarwal SK, Jha S, Mukherjee R, Burman AC
Dabur Research Foundation, 22 Site IV, Sahibabad, Ghaziabad 201010, U.P., India.
Terminalia arjuna has been marked as a potential cardioprotective agent since vedic period. The present study was aimed to investigate the effects of butanolic fraction of Terminalia arjuna bark (TA-05) on Doxorubicin (Dox)-induced cardiotoxicity. Male wistar rats were used as in vivo model for the study. TA-05 was administered orally to Wistar rats at different doses (0.42mg/kg, 0.85mg/kg, 1.7mg/kg, 3.4mg/kg and 6.8mg/kg) for 6days/week for 4 weeks. Thereafter, all the animals except saline and TA-05-treated controls were administered 20mg/kg Dox intraperitonially. There was a significant decrease in myocardial superoxide dismutase (38.94%) and reduced glutathione (23.84%) in animals treated with Dox. Concurrently marked increase in serum creatine kinase-MB (CKMB) activity (48.11%) as well as increase in extent of lipid peroxidation (2.55-fold) was reported. Co-treatment of TA-05 and Dox resulted in an increase in the cardiac antioxidant enzymes, decrease in serum CKMB levels and reduction in lipid peroxidation as compared to Dox-treated animals. Electron microscopic studies in Dox-treated animals revealed mitochondrial swelling, Z-band disarray, focal dilatation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) and lipid inclusions, whereas the concurrent administration of TA-05 led to a lesser degree of Dox-induced histological alterations. These findings suggest that butanolic fraction of Terminalia arjuna bark has protective effects against Dox-induced cardiotoxicity and may have potential as a cardioprotective agent.
PMID: 18346858 [PubMed - in process]
Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn.--a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders
Dwivedi S. Preventive Cardiology Group, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi 110095, India
Ancient Indian physicians used the powdered tree bark of Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn. for alleviating "hritshool" (angina) and other cardiovascular conditions. Its stem bark possesses glycosides, large quantities of flavonoids, tannins and minerals. Flavonoids have been detected to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid lowering effects while glycosides are cardiotonic, thus making Terminalia arjuna unique amongst currently used medicinal plants. In this review an attempt has been made to discuss various aspects of its ethnomedical, pharmacognostical, phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical relevance to cardiovascular conditions. Experimental studies have revealed its bark exerting significant inotropic and hypotensive effect, increasing coronary artery flow and protecting myocardium against ischemic damage. It has also been detected to have mild diuretic, antithrombotic, prostaglandin E(2) enhancing and hypolipidaemic activity. There is ample clinical evidence of its beneficial effect in coronary artery disease alone and along with statin. However, toxicological studies in experimental animals are lacking. Considering its anti-ischemic activity and its potential to correct dyslipidemia, reduce left ventricular mass and increase left ventricular ejection fraction, it is essential to examine the molecular mechanism of its action and its core constituents. Proposition to administer Terminalia arjuna deserves to be explored in depth for defining its place in the over all management and prevention of coronary artery disease.
PMID: 17875376 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Protective effect of Terminalia chebula against experimental myocardial injury induced by isoproterenol
Suchalatha S, Shyamala Devi CS. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai 600 025, India.
Cardioprotective effect of ethanolic extract of Terminalia chebula fruits (500 mg/kg body wt) was examined in isoproterenol (200 mg/kg body wt) induced myocardial damage in rats. In isoproterenol administered rats, the level of lipid peroxides increased significantly in the serum and heart. A significant decrease was observed in the activity of the myocardial marker enzymes with a concomitant increase in their activity in serum. Histopathological examination was carried out to confirm the myocardial necrosis. T. chebula extract pretreatment was found to ameliorate the effect of isoproterenol on lipid peroxide formation and retained the activities of the diagnostic marker enzymes.
PMID: 15282950 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Cardioprotective effect of the alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna bark in an in vivo model of myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury
Karthikeyan K, Bai BR, Gauthaman K, Sathish KS, Devaraj SN.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Madras, Guindy Campus, Chennai 600025, India.
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of chronic administration of the alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna (TAAE) bark on isoproterenol induced myocardial injury. The TAAE was administered orally to Wistar albino rats (150-200 g) in three different doses, by gastric gavage [3.4 mg/kg: (T1), 6.75 mg/kg: (T2) and 9.75 mg/kg: (T3)] 6 days/week for 4 weeks. At the end of this period, all the animals, except the normal untreated rats that served as the control group, were administered isoproterenol (ISO) 85 mg/kg, S.C., for two consecutive days to induce in vivo myocardial injury. After 48 hours rats were anaesthetized with anaesthetic ether, then sacrificed and the hearts were harvested for biochemical and histological studies. A significant rise in myocardial thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and loss of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (suggestive of increased oxidative stress) occurred in the hearts subjected to in vivo myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury. The 6.75 mg/kg TAAE treatment group (baseline) shows a significant increase in myocardial TBARS as well as endogenous antioxidants (GSH, SOD, and catalase), but not in the other treatment groups. In in vivo ischemic reperfusion injury of the TAAE treated rats there was a significant decrease in TBARS in all the groups. In 6.75 mg/kg treatment group, a significant rise in the levels of GSH, SOD and catalase were observed, and it shows better recovery profile than the other groups subjected to in vivo ischemic reperfusion injury. In histological studies, all the groups, except the isoproterenol treated group, showed preserved myocardium. The present study demonstrates that the 6.75 mg/kg TAAE augments endogenous antioxidant compounds of the rat heart and also prevents the myocardium from isoproterenol induced myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury.
PMID: 13679240 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Mechanism of Cardiovascular Action of Terminalia arjuna
Singh N, Kapur KK, Singh SP, Shanker K, Sinha JN, Kohli RP.
Pharmacological Research Unit C.C.R.A.S., Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, King George's Medical College, Lucknow, India.
TERMINALIA ARJUNA (Hindi name Arjuna, Family Combretacae) has been used in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders by Ayurvedic physicians. However, its properties have not been scientifically evaluated so far. Therefore, the present study was carried out to examine the underlying mechanism of the cardiovascular effects of aqueous solution of TERMINALIA ARJUNA extract. Intravenous (I. V.) administration of the extract was found to induce dose dependent decrease in blood pressure (B. P.) and heart rate (H. R.). These extracts also inhibited carotid occlusion response, without affecting the pressor responses, induced by intravenous injection of norepinephrine and by electrical stimulation of preganglionic fibres of the abdominal splanchnic nerve. Hypotension and bradycardia were also observed following the injection of the extract into the lateral cerebral ventricle and vertebral artery. The results of the present study show that the hypotensive and bradycardiac effects of T. ARJUNA are mainly of central origin.
PMID: 17396794 [PubMed - in process]