Digitalis species...

Following are some of the plants which have antiarrythmic activity. Also plant parts or the chemical constituents responsible for the activity have been listed wherever possible:

1. Diterpenoid alkaloids from plants of the Aconitum genus

2. Berberine

3. Crataegus monogyna (Rosaceae) has been claimed to possess prophylactic antiarrythmic activity

4. Olea africana

5. Bergenin from Fluggea virosa

6. Cardiac glycosides from Digitalis spp. foxgloves. D. lanata

7. Pteryxia terebinthina var. terebinthina (Umbeliferae) Aqueous extracts

8. Alhagi pseudalhagi

Antiprotozoal, antiarrhythmic, anticancer, cooling and bitter, possesses anti-bilious, antiseptic properties, and is a laxative, diuretic, expectorant and alleviates spasms (plant); antibacterial (leaf); antibilious (plant decoction).

9. Asparagus racemosus

Anticancer, alleviates spasms and antiarrythmic (aerial part); aphrodisiac, hypothermic and galactogenic (root); antibacterial and antifungal (bark); antioxytocic and diuretic (plant); antiallergic (root extract).

10. Barleria cristata

Antiarrhythmic, oxytocic, alleviates spasms and lowers blood sugar (plant).

11. Calotropis gigantea

Antiarrhythmic and alleviates spasms (root); anticancer (root and leaf); hypotensive (latex); laxative (plant juice); digestive, stomachic and tonic(flower); emetic, diaphoretic, alternative and purgative (root- bark and juice).

12. Cinchona officinalis

Antimalarial (plant and bark); antiarrhythmic and cardiotonic (plant); antipyretic, stringent and antiseptic (bark); antiparasitic, antiprotozoal, antispasmodic, bitter digestive aid, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart).

13. Corynanthe yohimbe

Allergenic, antiarrhythmic, antihypertensive, aphrodisiac, cardiotoxic, coronary-Dilator, hypertensive, myocardiodepressant, neurotoxic, peristaltic, respirastimulant, stimulant.

14. Harpagophytum procumbens

Allergenic, analgesic, antiarrhythmic, antiarthritic, antiinflammatory, antipyretic, antirheumatic, choleretic, depurative, digestive, diuretic, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, laxative, secretagogue, sedative, tonic, uricolytic, uterocontractant.

15. Kalanchoe spathulata

Antiarrhythmic, hypotensive and anticancer (plant); depresses the central nervous system (leaf extract); insecticidal and aids in reducing fever (leaf).

16. Nardostachys grandiflora

Antispasmodic, antiarrhythmic and lowers blood pressure (essential oil); stimulant (root); tranquillizing (in monkeys and mice) carminative, deobstruent, deodorant, diuretic, emmenagogue, laxative, nervine, sedative, stomachic.

17. Nardostachys jatamansi

Lowers blood pressure and antiarrhythmic (oil); sedative, tonic, antispasmodic, analgesic, promotes hair growth and stimulant.

18. Pimpinella diversifolia

Alleviates spasms, antiviral, antiarrhythmic, spermicidal and carminative (plant); antifungal (seed).

19. Sida acuta

Aphrodisiac, astringent, cooling and tonic (root); antimicrobial, hypotensive and antiarrhythmic (plant).

20. Solanum surattense

Anticancer (fruit and plant); alleviates spasms, stimulates the cardiovascular system and antiarrhythmic (fruit); antiviral and spermicidal (plant); expectorant and carminative (plant).

Gud Luck

Thanks and regards

Thanks a lot Dr. Alok Nahata for the detailed answer. I'm planning for a validation of in vivo preclinical model to screen the antiarrhythmic activity of herbal extracts.

Dear Shrinivasan

Gud luck for ur future endeavours. If require any help, feel free to ask.

Best Regards

We have recently worked with Terminalia Arjuna which has shown that it can prevent ouabain induced arrhythmia comparable to quinidine on cardiomyocyte cultures

I should note that although often cited for this purpose in popular literature, few of the agents cited above have robust in vivo data in support of their benefit as antiarrhythmics. Here my purpose, specializing in integrative oncology and evidence-based CAM (non-oncological), is not the more narrow issue of preclinical evidence, but rather those natural agents (not just plant-base, or herbals) which have positive human clinical level evidence of antiarrhythmic benefit: this includes two plant/herbs, namely berberine (as noted by Alok Nahata above) and hawthorn, and four nutraceuticals, namely CoQ10, Vitamin C, magnesium and NAC. There are some others with weaker support that I do not include here (and nor do I discuss digoxin from foxglove, as this is well-treated elsewhere):

Berberine

There is human clinical data [1] that the berberine component of Goldenseal can help prevent the onset of re-entrant ventricular tachyarrhythmias occuring after myocardial ischemic damage; of patients who were administered berberine, 62% of those with ventricular tachyarrhythmias exhibited at least 50% suppression of ventricular premature contractions, and even more dramatically, 38% of patients on berberine with ventricular tachyarrhythmia exhibited 90%+ suppression.

Hawthorn

Several human clinical trials have reported secondary outcomes involving cardiac rhythm in studies of congestive heart failure (CHF). One large open trial (n = 3664) [2] found that hawthorn was especially beneficial in CHF patients with tachycardiac arrhythmias, while in another large open trial (n = 1011) [3], hawthorn supplementation in the form of a standardized hawthorn (crataegus), extract WS 1442, provided an increase in the number of day and night normorhythmic patients, as well as a reduction in the number of patients showing arrhythmias and ventricular extrasystoles.

CoQ10

Another human clinical trial [4] of patients with acute myocardial infarction administered 120 mg of CoQ10 in one group and placebo in the other, for 28 days total, finding that after treatment, total arrhythmias were only 9.5% in the CoQ10 group compared to 25.3% in the placebo group, suggesting that CoQ10 can be preventive against potentially life-threatening dysrhythmias during the immediate period following a myocardial infarction when mortality is highest.

Vitamin C

One human clinical controlled study [5] found preliminary evidence that vitamin C may help prevent the arrhythmia of atrial fibrillation subsequent to coronary artery bypass grafting.

Magnesium

Another small double-blind, placebo-controlled trial [6] found that magnesium supplement (as chloride) can reduce the number of episodes of ventricular arrhythmia in CHF patients.

NAC

A pilot placebo-controlled human clinical trial (n = 115) [7] found that N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) reduces the incidence of atrial fibrillation following open-heart surgery.

References

1. Huang W. Ventricular tachyarrhythmias treated with berberine. Chung Hua Hsin Hsueh Kuan Ping Tsa Chih 1990;18:155-156,190.

2. Schmidt U, Albrecht M, Podzuweit H, et al. High dosage therapy with Crataegus extract in patients suffering from heart failure NYHA class I and II [in German]. Z Phytother 1998;19:22–30.

3. Tauchert M, Gildor A, Lipinski J. High-dose Crataegus (hawthorn) extract WS 1442 for the treatment of NYHA class II heart failure patients [in German]. Herz 1999;24:465–474.

4. Mortensen S.A., Vadhanavikit S., Muratsu K., Folkers K. (1990) Coenzyme Q10: Clinical benefits with biochemical correlates suggesting a scientific breakthrough in the management of chronic heart failure. In: Int. J. Tissue React., Vol. 12 (3), pp 155-162.

5. Eslami M, Badkoubeh RS, Mousavi M, et al. Oral ascorbic acid in combination with beta-blockers is more effective than beta-blockers alone in the prevention of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting. Tex Heart Inst J. 2007;34:268-274.

6. Bashir Y, Sneddon JF, Staunton A, et al. Effects of long-term oral magnesium chloride replacement in congestive heart failure secondary to coronary artery disease. Am J Cardiol. 1993;72:1156-1162.

7. Ozaydin M, Peker O, Erdogan D, et al. N-acetylcysteine for the prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study. Eur Heart J. 2008 Mar;29(5):625-31.

Constantine Kaniklidis

Director of Medical Research,

No Surrender Breast Cancer Foundation (NSBCF)

European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)

I am using the total extracts of aconitum napellus, rauwolfia sepentina and viscum album to decrease tachycardiac arrhythmias in a tested dosage.

There is one Ayurvedic preparation known as Arjunarist Please try for this may help you.

The Herbal formulations:

All terminalia arjuna compounds are well good for Heart related disease and Managment.

Marutham Choorna

Arjuna Aristam

Sirungi Bhasma(Metal origin),

Which makes better.

Digitalis Species mosty induces the Heart rate. Patient feels palpitation. For medication uses Mostly restricted the digi compounds.