Digitalis
purpurea. 洋地黄叶Yáng
dì huáng yè PART USED: Dry leaf TOXICITY: Highly toxic
INDICATIONS
1. Heart tonic.[1] References
[1] A Complete English Dictionary of Medicinal Terms in Chinese Acupuncture
and Herbalism 1981- Henry Lu Chinese Foundations of Natural Health- The Academy
of Oriental Heritage, Vancouver, Canada. Images
1. commons.hortipedia.com
by Jörg Hempel CC by-nc-sa-3.0
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from
the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant
medicinally. Constituents.
Cardenolide glycosides; digitoxin, gitoxin.[1]
D. lanata contains related glycosides, including digoxin and lantosides.[1]
It is the main source of digoxin for the pharmaceutical industry.[2,3,4]
Anthraquinones such as alizarin.[2]
Flavonoids, saponins.[2] References
[1]Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations
R.C. Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published
in Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel
Company Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed
and bound by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.
[2] Pharmacognosy, 12th Ed. Trease, G. E. and Evans, W. C. Pub. Bailliere
Tindall (1983) UK
[3] Drogen kunde, 8th Ed. Heinz, A., Hopope. Pub. W. de Gruyter (1975) Berlin.
[4] Martindale. The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 27th Ed. Pub. The Pharmacutical Press
(1977) UK
Research.
Digitalis glycosides incrase the force of contaction of the heart without increasing
the oxygen consumption, and slow the heart rate when auricular fibrillation
is present.[1] Digitalis leaf, even
in the standardized form is rarely used, due to their potency and different
onset of action. It is preferable to use the isolated glycosides and only under
close medical supervision.[1] Digoxin
is the glycoside of choice since it is the least cumulative and most rapidly
excreted; it is very widely prescribed and very valuable therapeutically.[1]
Due to their cumulative effect the glycosides can easily exhibit toxic symptoms;
these include nausea, vomiting and anorexia.[1] References
[1]Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations
R.C. Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published
in Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel
Company Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed
and bound by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.
Anti-tumour activity of Digitalis purpurea L. subsp. heywoodii.
López-Lázaro M1, Palma De La Peña N, Pastor N, Martín-Cordero
C, Navarro E, Cortés F, Ayuso MJ, Toro MV. Abstract
Recent research has shown the anticancer effects of digitalis compounds suggesting
their possible use in medical oncology. Four extracts obtained from the leaves
of Digitalis purpurea subsp. heywoodii have been assessed for cytotoxic activity
against three human cancer cell lines, using the SRB assay. All of them showed
high cytotoxicity, producing IC50 values in the 0.78 - 15 microg/mL range with
the methanolic extract being the most active, in non toxic concentrations. Steroid
glycosides (gitoxigenin derivatives) were detected in this methanolic extract.
Gitoxigenin and gitoxin were evaluated in the SRB assay using the three human
cancer cell lines, showing IC50 values in the 0.13 - 2.8 microM range, with
the renal adenocarcinoma cancer cell line (TK-10) being the most sensitive one.
Morphological apoptosis evaluation of the methanolic extract and both compounds
on the TK-10 cell line showed that their cytotoxicity was mediated by an apoptotic
effect. Finally, possible mechanisms involved in apoptosis induction by digitalis
compounds are discussed.
PMID: 14531018 DOI: 10.1055/s-2003-42789 Planta Med. 2003 Aug;69(8):701-4. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Phenylethanoid glycosides from Digitalis purpurea and Penstemon linarioides
with PKCalpha-inhibitory activity.
Zhou BN, Bahler BD, Hofmann GA, Mattern MR, Johnson RK, Kingston DG. Abstract
In a continuation of our search for potential tumor inhibitors from plants,
it was found that the CH2Cl2-MeOH (1:1) extracts from Digitalis purpurea and
Penstemon linarioides both showed PKCalpha-inhibitory bioactivity. Bioassay-directed
fractionation of the extract from D. purpurea yielded the new, weakly active
phenylethanoid glycoside 2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)-ethyl-O-(alpha-L-rhamnosyl)-(1-->3)
-O- (alpha-L-rhamnosyl)-(1-->6)-4-O-E-feruloyl-beta-D-glucopy ran oside (1)
together with the four known compounds calceolarioside A (2), calceolarioside
B (3), forsythiaside (4), and plantainoside D (5). The extract from P. linarioides
yielded the three known glycosides leucosceptoside A (6), acteoside (7), and
poliumoside (8), together with the iridoid plantarenaloside (9). All of the
isolated compounds, except compound 9, showed inhibitory activity against PKCalpha
with IC50 values (in microM) of 125 (1), 0.6 (2), 4.6 (3), 1.9 (4), 14.8 (5),
19.0 (6), 9.3 (7), and 24.4 (8).
PMID: 9834166 DOI: 10.1021/np980147s J Nat Prod. 1998 Nov;61(11):1410-2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov