PMID- 21315570
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20120327
LR  - 20131121
IS  - 1618-095X (Electronic)
IS  - 0944-7113 (Linking)
VI  - 18
IP  - 4
DP  - 2011 Feb 15
TI  - The aqueous extract, not organic extracts, of Terminalia arjuna bark exerts 
      cardiotonic effect on adult ventricular myocytes.
PG  - 259-65
LID - 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.07.006 [doi]
AB  - The bark of Terminalia arjuna (TA) has been used for centuries in ayurvedic 
      medicine as cardiotonics for treatment of cardiac disorders. It became recently 
      available as over-the-counter supplements marketed for maintaining a healthy 
      heart. However, the cellular mechanism of its cardiotonic effect remains 
      undefined. The present study was designed to investigate the physicochemical 
      property and inotropic effect of the aqueous extract of TA bark (TA(AqE)) on 
      adult rat ventricular myocytes in comparison with extracts prepared sequentially 
      with organic solvents (organic extracts). The kinetics of myocyte contraction and 
      caffeine-induced contraction were analyzed to assess the effect of TA(AqE) on 
      sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) function. The inotropic effect of TA(AqE) was also 
      compared with that of known cardiotonics, isoproterenol (ISO) and ouabain (Ouab). 
      We found that TA(AqE) decoctions exerted positive inotropy, accelerated myocyte 
      relaxation and increased caffeine-induced contraction concentration-dependently. 
      In contrast, TA organic extracts caused interruption of excitability and 
      arrhythmias without consistent inotropic action. In conclusion, TA(AqE)-induced 
      cardiotonic action via enhancing SR function, a unique action minimizing the 
      occurrence of arrhythmias, makes TA(AqE) a promising and relatively safe 
      cardiotonic beneficial to the healthy heart and the treatment for chronic heart 
      disease. The cardiotonic effect of TA(AqE) is consistent with the therapeutic 
      property of TA bark used in ayurvedic medicine. The method of administration 
      and/or selective omission of hydrophobic components from bark powder could be 
      crucial to the efficacy and safety of TA bark in cardiac therapy and uses as 
      over-the-counter supplements.
CI  - Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
FAU - Oberoi, Lalit
AU  - Oberoi L
AD  - Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical 
      Sciences, 4301 West Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
FAU - Akiyama, Toshiyuki
AU  - Akiyama T
FAU - Lee, Kuo-Hsiung
AU  - Lee KH
FAU - Liu, Shi J
AU  - Liu SJ
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - Germany
TA  - Phytomedicine
JT  - Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
JID - 9438794
RN  - 0 (Cardiotonic Agents)
RN  - 0 (Plant Extracts)
RN  - L628TT009W (Isoproterenol)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Cardiotonic Agents/*pharmacology/therapeutic use
MH  - Cells, Cultured
MH  - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
MH  - Heart Ventricles/cytology/drug effects
MH  - Isoproterenol/pharmacology
MH  - Male
MH  - Myocytes, Cardiac/*drug effects/metabolism
MH  - *Phytotherapy
MH  - Plant Bark/chemistry
MH  - Plant Extracts/*pharmacology/therapeutic use
MH  - Plants, Medicinal/chemistry
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Sprague-Dawley
MH  - Terminalia/*chemistry
EDAT- 2011/02/15 06:00
MHDA- 2012/03/28 06:00
CRDT- 2011/02/15 06:00
PHST- 2009/12/04 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2010/05/20 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2010/07/12 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2011/02/15 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2011/02/15 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2012/03/28 06:00 [medline]
AID - S0944-7113(10)00228-X [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.07.006 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Phytomedicine. 2011 Feb 15;18(4):259-65. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.07.006.