1MD, Demonstrator, Pharmacology, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
2MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
MD, Professor, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India
4MD, Professor & Head, Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College & Hospital, Haryana, India
*Correspondence to: Dr Baljit Jassal, Email: baljitjassal@gmail.com
Online published on 5 July, 2013.
Terminalia arjuna is being used in various cardiovascular diseases as cardiotonic, diuretic & in hypercholesterolemia. Studies conflict each other for its mechanism of action. This study aims to investigate effect of 90% alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna on in vitro isolated rabbit's heart & to find its probable mechanism of action.
To study the preliminary pharmacological effects of 90% alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna in-vitro on isolated heart, coronary blood flow, and to study its probable mechanism of action.
Effect of Terminalia arjuna was observed on heart rate, coronary blood flow, amplitude on in vitro isolated perfused rabbit's heart mounted on langendorff apparatus & further cholinergic & adrenergic blockers were used to study the mechanism of action. Six experiments were conducted for each parameter & data was analysed using Student's t test.
Terminalia arjuna causes mean percentage decrease of 7.26%, 9.31% & 20.51% in heart rate, decrease of 10.34%, 16.64%, 20.51% in coronary blood flow & decrease of 15.11%, 12.61%, 11.65% in amplitude at 25μg, 50μg & 100μg doses respectively. The decrease in heart rate, coronary blood flow & amplitude persists even after cholinergic & adrenergic blockers suggesting that cholinergic & adrenergic receptors are not involved in mechanism of Terminalia arjuna.
Terminalia arjuna cardiodepressant effect does not involve cholinergic & adrenergic receptors.
Terminalia arjuna, alcoholic extract, aqueous extract, cardiac depressants
