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Introduction
Common Name
Terminalia Arjuna tree
Chemical Constituents
Cultivation
History
Terminalia Arjuna tree
Terminalia Arjuna other uses
Terminalia Arjuna Benefits
Economics
Recent research
Introduction:
Terminalia Arjuna is found in throughout India.
It is commonly found in dry hill areas in the form of rows of several plants by the side of water bodies
- rivers, streams and ravines. It is also planted in many parts of India for shade and for ornamental purposes.It thrives best on loose moist,
fertile alluvial loams and light deep sandy soils, often overlying more
or less impervious rock. Terminalia Arjuna is a traditional
Ayurvedic medicine used in the treatment for heart disease It is traditionally prepared as a milk
decoction. In the Ashtānga Hridayam, Vagbhata mentions Arjuna in the
treatment of wounds, hemorrhages and ulcers, applied topically as a powder.
Modern research has discovered that Arjuna has antioxidant properties and helpful in cardiovascular health.
Terminalia Arjuna tree
Common Name:
Hindi - Arjun
English - Arjuna
Latin - Terminalia Arjuna
Family Name- Combretaceae
Sanskrit - Arjunah,
Dhanvi, Indradruma, Kakubha, Karvirak.
Tamil - Attumarutu
Telgu - Erramaddi
Malayalam- Nirmaruta
Marathi - Sadhaval
Kannada - Maddi
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Terminalia Arjuna tree:
Terminalia Arjuna is a large size evergreen deciduous tree. The height of the Arjuna tree reaches
up to 60 -85 feet. It is the evergreen tree with the yellow flowers and conical leaves. It has a smooth gray bark. Fruit
is 2.5 -3.5 cm long, fibrous woody, glabrous with 5 hard wings, striated with numerous arjun-tree curved veins. It has a buttressed trunk and a
vast spreading crown from which the branches drop downwards. Its leaves
are dull green above and pale brown beneath. Arjuna flowers between March to June and fruits between September to November.
Leaves and flowers of Arjuna tree Fruits of
Arjuna tree Bark of the Arjuna tree
Leaves: The leaves are oblong and conical, 4-6 inch long and 2-3 inch wide, green on the top and brown below.
Flowers : White or yellowish flowers are found in groups.
Fruit: The are avoid with 5-1 hard angles curving upwards,
glabrous with five to seven wings, woody and fibrous.
Bark: The bark is smooth gray. The bark is thick, soft and of red color from inside..
Chemical Constituents:
Terminalia Arjuna contains Triterpene glycosides,
arjunetin, arjunetoside, arjunaphthanoloside, together with oleanolic and arjunic acids, terminic acid, a
cardenolide. Antioxidants (flavones, tannins, oligomeric proanthocyanidins), have been isolated from the root bark of Terminalia Arjuna.
The bark of Terminalia arjuna is known to contain phytosterols (ß-sitosterol), ellagic and oleanolinic acids, magnesium, zinc, copper
and tannins. The whole tree is so rich on calcium that even the soil it grows on becomes rich on this element too. One of the most promising
constituents of the Arjun bark is arjunic acid, belonging to triterpenoid saponins. A glycoside arjunetin has recently been isolated
from the bark and enlarged the list of glycosides found in this tree. Arjuna also contains coenzyme Q10.
Cultivation
Terminalia Arjuna grown
manually through ripe seeds, coppicing, pollarding, root-suckers, stumps and air-layering. It grows slowly in
the initial phase but later on it grows fast. It attains 2 -3 meters height in three years. Arjun yields up to 45 kg dry bark chips on a three year
cycle .Ripe fruits are collected in March either by lopping the branches or from the ground previously swept clean. The seeds are viable for at least one year when stored in sealed tins.
Its fruit is dried in the sunlight and than stored up to 6 -12 months. Seeds are pretreated by soaking in the water
for 48 hours before sowing in beds. 8 to 9 months seedlings are better to transplant in the field.
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History
Terminalia Arjuna tree is a traditional Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times. According
to Bhavprakash ( The Ayurvedic Text) the drug is sweet, cooling, mucilaginous increases Kapha
and reduces `Pitta daha and acts as stimulant, it gives strength.
It is extensively used by the Ayurvedic practitioners for a wide variety
of ailments and particularly an ingredient in the treatment for heart disease.
Bark of Arjuna plant is widely used in Ayurvedic formulations for its medicinal properties. Herbal tea made of Arjuna
bark is very common and convenient form for use for its benefits as medicine.
Terminalia Arjuna as Medicinal tree
Terminalia Arjuna is a traditional rare Indian medicinal herb
which has many therapeutic applications in Ayurvedic, Unani, Homeopathic and Allopathic system of medicine. Its barks
are widely used for various therapeutic applications. The Bark of the Arjuna tree contains calcium salts,
magnesium salts, and glucosides has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicines. Its leaf juice is used to cure dysentry and earache. Arjuna
helps in maintaining the cholesterol level at the normal rate, as it
contains the antioxidant properties similar to the Vitamin E. It strengths the heart muscles and maintains the heart functioning
properly. It also improves functioning of cardiac muscle. Arjuna is used
for the treatment of coronary artery disease, heart failure, edema, angina and hypercholesterolemia. Its bark power possesses diuretic,
prostaglandin enhancing and coronary risk factor modulating properties.
It is also considered as beneficial in the treatment of Asthma. Arjuna
promotes well-organized cardiac performance and regulates blood pressure to normal.
Terminalia Arjuna other uses
Arjuna wood is used in the house building as it is very
hard. Its wood is also used in the making of the agricultural implements.
Terminalia Arjuna Benefits
Arjuna herb works as a heart tonic that helps maintain heart health
maintain normal blood pressure
Arjuna promotes proper blood flow and normal homocysteine levels.
Heart muscles are strengthened by arjun
Arjuna supports the blood's absorption of lipids indicating it has cholesterol-regulating properties
Arjuna herb helps to reduces the effects of stress and nervousness on the heart.
COQ10 in Arjuna supports the heart's energy output, and enhances overall energy levels, stamina and immunity
Cholesterol metabolism: Compounds in Arjuna may help reduce cholesterol levels.
DNA protection: Arjuna has compounds that protect against DNA damage from toxins.
Antioxidant benefit: Arjuna tree bark powder
has significant antioxidant action that is comparable to vitamin E
Antiplatelet actions: Substances in the trees bark have anti-platelet activity and they can thin the blood.
Cancer: Substance in the plant protect against certain forms of cancer.
Economics
The global markets of Terminalia Arjuna
are in U.S.A. Britain,European countries, Australia, Japan and even China.
Japan and China have the highest per capita consumption of botanical medicines in
the world. These days, Arjuna remedies are usually available in the form of tablets
or capsules filled with the powdered bark.
Recent research
Terminalia Arjuna is well supported with research papers published all over the world in renowned medical
research journals of recent times.
Heart attack, myocardial infarction : Arjunolic acid, a new triterpene and a potent extract from the bark of
Terminalia arjuna, has been shown to provide significant cardiac protection in myocardial necrosis in rats. Arjunolic acid treatment
prevents the decrease in the levels of powerful antioxidants such as
superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione, alpha-tocopherol, and ascorbic acid.
Research on Cardioprotective effect of the alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna
bark in an in vivo model of myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury.
It was found that Hypertension, lowering of blood pressure Possible mechanisms of
hypotension produced 70% alcoholic extract of Terminalia arjuna in anaesthetized dogs.
On the ethnomedical implication of the Arjun tree, Terminalia Arjuna Wight & Arnot. By Kumar DS, Prabhakar
YS.:
Terminalia arjuna or Arjun is an vital cardio tonic plant described in
the Ayurvedic system of medication, the antique Indian medical science. It is also supposed to have the capability to cure hepatic,
urogenital, venereal and viral diseases. An attempt is made here to analyze the
obtainable drug recipes using this plant from Sanskrit literature in the
light of modern scientific knowledge. The chemistry and pharmacology of
Terminalia arjuna are also talked about, and areas of future investigations are recognized.
Anti-anginal and cardio defensive effects of Terminalia arjuna in coronary artery disease.By Dwivedi S, Agarwal MP. :
The result of bark powder of T. arjuna, a native drug, on anginal
occurrence, blood pressure, body mass index, blood sugar, cholesterol
and High density lipoproyein cholesterol was studied in 15 stable (Group
A) and 5 unstable (Group B) angina patients before and 12 week later
than Terminalia arjuna therapy. Tread mill test (TMT) and echo-cardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction was assessed in a
number of cases. There was 50 percent reduction in angina episodes in
Group A cases (P < 0.01). TMT or Tread mill test performance enhanced
from moderate to mild changes in 5 patients and one with mild changes
became unhelpful for ischemia. The time to the onset of angina and appearance of ST-T changes on TMT later than Terminalia arjuna or Arjun
was delayed significantly. However, in patients with unstable angina
there was an unimportant reduction in anginal frequency. These patients
also needed diltiazem, B-blockers and nitroglycerine in addition to Terminalia arjuna or arjun. The drug lowered systolic blood pressure
(BP) and body mass index to a significant level (p < 0.05) and rise High
Density Lipoprotein cholesterol only somewhat along with marginal
improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction in stable angina patients.
No harmful effects on liver or kidney functions.
No significant side effects have been published in medical journals.
REFERENCES
C.S.I.R. Government of India, Wealth of India
Cramer. Von.J. 1968 Dictionary of Economic Plants
Maheshwari. P and Singh. Umrao. 1965 Dictionary of Economic Plants of India
Dravyaguna Vigyan: - Prof. Priyavrat Sharma
Bhavprakash Nighantu - Dr. Ganga Sahay Pandey & Dr. Krishna Chandra Chunekar.
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Arjun herbal tea
Arjun herbal tea from bark of arjuna tree is a caffeine free herbal tea useful for your
health problems. Arjun tea is an Ayurvedic ways of healing is being practiced in India for more
than 5000 years. The herbs used in Arjun tea were mentioned in many sections of ancient texts like “charaka samhita” and “Sushrut
Samhita” ( written about 2500-3000 BC) and especially the cardiac diseases.
Arjun tea ingredients are :
Terminalia arjuna, Ficus religiosa, Cinnamon Zeylanica, Small Cardamom and Big Cardamom
Arjun tea benefits are
* Arjun tea provides nutrition to heart as it is rich in natural micro nutrient CoQ 10 (1 cup have 25-30 mg Co Q 10 )
` * Maintains cholesterol levels – Helps maintaining normal
Triglycerides, LDL and VLDL levels and also improve good cholesterol i.e. HDL
* Improves pumping capacity of heart
* Rich in natural flavonoids – natural anti-oxidants
* Effective herbs for heart
* A nicotine / caffeine free herbal tea to take care of many health conditions without causing any side effects or interactions.
* Delicious taste with cinnamon and cardamom flavor
* Contains no preservatives or chemicals but only herbs |
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