In this section we will study about crude drugs having Cardiotonic and Astringent actions, as per the D.Pharm syllabus.

1. STUDY OF CRUDE DRUGS
CARDIOTONICS & ASTRINGENTS
ANUBHAV GUPTA
B. PHARM
Institute of Pharmacy
VBS Purvanchal University, Jaunpur
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2. • Cardiotonics are the agents which improves the blood flow from the heart
throughout all parts of the body.
• This is done by maintaining strength and rate of myocardial contraction.
• For example: Digoxin(Digitalis), Dopamine, Phenylephrine, Dobutamine.
• Crude drugs used as cardiotonics are:
Digitalis
Arjuna
Sqill
Strophantus
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DIGITALIS

3. DIGITALIS
• Synonyms: Digitalis, purple foxglove, finger
flower, lady’s glove, Fox-glove Leaves, Folia
Digitalis.
• Biological Source: Digitalis consists of dried
leaves of Digitalis purpurea Linn.,
• Family: Scrophulariaceae.
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4. DIGITALIS
Morphology:
Colour: Dark greyish -green to Green
Odor: Odourless
Taste: Bitter
Chemical Test:
• Baljet Test for digitoxin (Glycoside)
• Legal Test and Keller-Killani Test
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5. DIGITALIS
Chemical Constituents:
• 0.2–0.45% of both primary and secondary
glycosides
• Purpurea glycosides A and B and
glucogitoloxin are primary glycosides
• The chief chemical constituents are
Digitoxin and Gitoxin.
• Also have odoroside-H, gitaloxin,
verodoxin and glucoverodoxin.
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6. DIGITALIS
Therapeutic Efficacy:
• Used in treatment of heart-failure and
arrythmia.
• It stimulates the flow of urine,
• It has also been employed in the treatment
of internal haemorrhage, inflammatory
diseases, epilepsy, acute mania.
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7. Arjuna
• Synonyms: Arjun bark, arjun.
• Biological Source: Arjuna consists of dried
stem bark of the plant known as Terminalia
arjuna.
• Family: Combretaceae.
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8. Arjuna
Morphology:
Colour: Bark is Greyish-Brown to Brown
Odour: Odourless
Taste: Astringent
Identification Test:
• Etheral extract of arjuna shows pinkish
fluorescence under ultra-violet light.
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9. Arjuna
Chemical Constituents:
• The dry bark from the stem contains about 20 to
24% of tannin.
• The flavonoids such as arjunolone, arjunone, and
baicaleinare present.
• Triterpenoid compounds arjune-tin, arjungenin,
arjunglucoside I and II, and terminoic acid are also
found.
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10. Arjuna
Therapeutic Efficacy:
• Arjuna bark is used as a diuretic and astringent.
• Reduces blood pressure and heart.
• Used as tanning agent in past in leather tanneries.
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11. • Astringents are group of substances that cause the contraction or shrinkage of
tissues and dry up the secretions and tighten the skin.
• Astringents precipitates protein that’s why they are also used to stop bleeding.
• Drugs having astringent actions are; epinephrine, cocaine, glycerol, alcohol,
calamine and alum.
• Crude drugs having astringent action are;
Myrobalan
Black Catechu
Pale Catechu
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Blackthorn
Berries

12. Myrobalan
• Synonyms: Chebulic myrobalan, harde,
haritaki.
• Biological Source: Myrobalan is the
mature dried fruits of Terminalia chebula.
• Family: Combretaceae.
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13. Myrobalan
Morphology:
Colour: Yellowish-Brown to Brown
Odour: Slight odour
Taste: Mucilaginous
Identification Test:
• Ferric chloride test shows green
coloration in presence of tannins.
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14. Myrobalan
Chemical Constituents:
• Myrobalan contains about 30% of the hydrolysable
tannins.
• It has chebulinic acid, chebulagic acid and D-galloyl
glucose.
• It contains free tannic acid, gallic acid, ellagic acid, and
resin myrobalanin.
• Anthraquinone glycosides, sennosides is also found in
myrobalan.
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15. Myrobalan
Therapeutic Efficacy:
• Used externally in chronic ulcers, wounds, piles, and as stomachic.
• Used in dyeing and tanning industry.
• It is one of the drugs of the well-known preparation ‘Triphala’.
• Used in minor cuts and wounds as astringent.
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16. BLACK CATECHU
• Synonyms: Cutch, black catechu, Khair,
kattha.
• Biological Source: Black catechu is dried
aqueous extract prepared from the
heartwood of Acacia catechu.
• Family: Leguminosae.
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17. BLACK CATECHU
Morphology:
Colour: Black or brownish-black mass
Odor: Odourless
Taste: Astringent, subsequently sweet taste
Chemical Test:
• Because of the presence of catechin, black catechu gives pink or red colour with
vanillin and HCl
• Catechin when treated with HCl produces phlorogucinol, which burns along
with lignin to give purple or magenta colour
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18. BLACK CATECHU
Chemical Constituents:
• 2–12% of catechin and about 25 to 33% of
phlobatannin, catechutannic acid.
• It also contains 20–30% gummy matter,
catechin red, quercetin and querecitin.
• It yields 2–3% of ash.
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19. BLACK CATECHU
Therapeutic Efficacy:
• Cutch is used in medicine as astringent.
• It cures troubles of mouth, diseases of the throat and diarrhoea.
• It also increases appetite.
• It is used in betel leaves for chewing.
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20. PALE CATECHU
• Synonyms: Gambier, pale catechu,
catechu.
• Biological Source: It is dried aqueous
extract produced from the leaves and
young twigs of Uncaria gambier.
• Family: Rubiaceae.
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21. PALE CATECHU
Morphology:
Colour: Dull reddish-brown to yellowish-brown.
Odor: Odourless
Taste: Bitter and astringent first, later sweet
Chemical Test:
Gambier fluorescein test:
• Gambier fluorescein present in pale catechu gives the
fluorescence.
• Alcohol extract + sodium hydroxide + petroleum ether =>
The petroleum ether layer shows green fluorescence
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22. PALE CATECHU
Chemical Constituents:
• Pale catechu contain from about 7 to 30% of
pseudotannin catechin and 22 to 55% of a
phlobatannin, catechutannic acid.
• It also contains catechu red, gambier fluorescin and
quercetin.
• It also has tannin like gambirtannin.
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23. PALE CATECHU
Therapeutic Efficacy:
• Pale catechu is used as local astringent.
• In diarrhoea, it is used as general astringent.
• It is used for chewing with betel leaf.
• Large proportion of gambier is used in dyeing and tanning industries.
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