Cardiotonic are drugs used to increase the efficiency and improve the contraction of the heart muscle, Digitalis is an example of a cardio-active or cardiotonic drug, in other words a steroid which has the ability to exert a specific and powerful action on the cardiac muscle in animals, and has been used in the treatment of heart conditions ever since its discovery in 1775.

1. Archana Chavhan
M.Pharm (QA)
KYDSCT’S COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
SAKEGAON

2. CARDIOTONIC DRUG
• Cardiotonic drugs increase the
force of the contraction of the
muscle (myocardium) of the
heart.
• Example:- Digitalis,, Arjuna
bark etc

3. Digitalis
• Synonyms:- Digitalis leaves, Foxglove leaves
• Biological Source:- It consists of dried leaves of Digitalis purpurea
• Family:-Scrophulariaceae.
• Morphological characters
• Chemical constituents:
• Cardiacglycosides (Cardenolideas) 0.2 to 0.45 % Purpurea glycosides A & B.
• They also contains few other glycosides like oderoside H, glucogitaloxin, gitaloxin,
verodocin and glucoverodoxin.
Color Dark green
Odor Odorless
Taste Bitter
Size 10-30cm in length & 4-10 cm in width
Shape Ovate, petiolate

4. Therapeutic Uses
1. Used in treatment of congestive heart failure
2. It increases excitability to cardiac muscles.
3. Digitalis directly increases the contractile power of the heart
muscle, enabling a disease-weakened heart to keep up with the
body’s demand for heart action
4. The drug is also used to slow the rate of ventricular contraction in
patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter.

5. ARJUNA
Synonyms: Arjun bark, arjun.
Biological Source: Arjuna consists of dried stem bark of the plant known as Terminalia arjuna Rob,
Family: Combretaceae.
Morphology:
Chemical constituents:
 The dry bark from the stem contains about 20 to 24% of tannin.
 The tannins are reported to be present are (+) catechol, (+) gallocatechol, epicatechol, epigallocatechol,
and ellgic acid.
 The triterpenoid compounds arjune-tin, arjungenin, arjunglucoside I and II, and terminoic acid have also
been reported from the bark.

6. Therapeutic Uses:-
1. Arjuna bark is used as a diuretic and astringent.
2. chiefly used as cardio tonic as it improves blood supply to heart.
3. It is also useful in ulcer treatment, fractures, cirrhosis of liver,
ischaemic heart disease, and hypertension.
4. It is used in the treatment of various heart diseases