Abstract

The bark of the tree Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) is widely used in Indian medicine (Ayurveda) for various cardiovascular ailments. The bark has been reported to contain several bioactive compounds. Many experimental studies have reported its antioxidant, anti-ischemic, antihypertensive, and antihypertrophic effects, which have relevance to its therapeutic potential in cardiovascular diseases in humans. Several clinical studies have reported its efficacy mostly in patients with ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure. However, a major shortcoming in all these experimental and clinical studies is the absence of phytochemical standardization of the extracts. In addition, many clinical studies are poor in terms of design and methods used for generating safety data. This review discusses how to address all these issues for a scientific validation of this medicinal plant.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Maulik SK, Talwar KK

Institution

Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. skmaulik@gmail.com

Source

American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions 12:3 2012 Jun 1 pg 157-63

MeSH

Animals
Cardiovascular Diseases
Clinical Trials as Topic
Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
Humans
Medicine, Ayurvedic
Plant Bark
Plant Extracts
Terminalia

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Review

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22583146