Terminalia arjuna is a tropical woody plant from the family Combretaceae and is called "Arjuna" in the vernacular. The herb is an essential ingredient in several Ayurvedic cardiotonic formulations, and is reported to be beneficial in hepatic, urogenital, venereal and viral diseases.

Traditional Ayurvedic physicians recommended different preparations of Terminalia arjuna for different types of heart disease. A decoction of Arjuna bark and minerals was used in the treatment of heart disease of microbial origin. This is surprising, as the involvement of microbes in the etiology of heart disease is a fairly recent discovery.

In patients suffering from ischemic heart disease, treatment with Terminalia arjuna helped to alleviate anginal pain and normalize the heart rhythm2. In a double blind placebo controlled study on 12 patients with congestive heart failures patients treated with Terminalia arjuna bark extract (500 mg capsule) showed improvement in symptoms. Based on the results of an additional long term open study, the authors concluded that Terminalia arjuna is a safe and effective remedy for patients suffering from refractory congestive heart failure³.

References:

1. Kumar, D.S. et al (1987). J. of Ethnopharm., 20:173-190
2. Dwivedi, S. et al (1 994) J. Assoc. Phys. India. 42:287-289
3. Bharani, A. et al (1995). Int. J. Cardiol. 49:191-199