AYURVEDIC AND MODERN ASPECTS OF ARJUNA (TERMINALIA ARJUNA ROXB): AN OVERVIEW
Khandekar Surekha Babasaheb* and Pansare Tabassum Arif
ABSTRACT
To cure human diseases, medicinal plants have been a major source of
therapeutic agents since ancient time. Terminalia arjuna is one kind of
widely used medicinal plant throughout India and used in various
indigenous system of medicine like Ayurveda, Siddha and
Unani.Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna Roxb) tree belonging to family
Combretaceae is widely distributed throughout India. In Ayurvedic
classics it is regarded as a hridya drug (cardiotonic drugs i.e. drugs
having beneficial action on the heart). Its stem bark contains
glycosides, large quantities of flavonoids, tannins and minerals. Arjuna
is recorded to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory antimicrobial,
antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal, antihelmintic,
immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, radioprotective, antimutagenic and lipid lowering effects
while glycosides are cardiotonic, thus making Arjuna unique amongst currently used
medicinal plants. In this review an attempt has been made to highlight an ayurvedic aspect as
well as its phytochemical and pharmacological activities. This article spreads a hopeful array
for the researchers to explore it at molecular level and pharmaceutical industries to develop a
new product.
Keywords: Terminalia arjuna, Arjuna, phytochemical, pharmacological, cardiotonic.
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