Digitalis cardiotonic drug| synonym, tests,uses Welcome to our website here we are going to discuss some important topics on digitalis such as-Digitalis, cardiotonic drug, synonym, tests,use, digitalis purpurea, digitalis Synonyms, digitalis family, digitalis leaves, Chemical constituents digitalis uses
Digitalis
Digitalis purpurea
A cardiotonic drug which strengthens the activity of the heart. These cardiotonics increase the force of contraction of cardiac muscles and stimulates the activity of the heart.
Examples of cardiotonic drugs are Digitalis, strophanthus, squill, thevetia, and arjuna bark are natural cardiotonics.
Below given are the information is related to digitalis purpurea only from its Synonyms, family, Biological source, distribution, Cultivation and collection, Preparations for market, macroscopic characters, microscopic characters, chemical constituents, chemical tests and substitutes and adulterants are given below.
Digitalis synonyms
It is also known as Digitalis leaves or Foxglove leaves. Which is cardiotonic in action.
Biological source : It consists of dried leaves of digitalis purpurea dried when the temperature is below 60°celcius. These leaves contain not more than 5% moisture.
Digitalis family
Digitalis belongs to the family of scrophulariaceae. Cardiotonic is a Greek word meaning Kardia which means heart.
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Digitalis leaves
Geographical distribution
It is distributed widely in England and some parts of Europe, United States, India. But in India found in kashmir.
Cultivation and collection
- Herb is biennial or perennial about 1 to 2 meters of height. Its cultivation in kashmir region of tannary and kishtawar and mungapoo and nilgiri hilly sides.
- It requires calcareous, sandy with magnese traces type of soils. Soil is sterilised with steam before using it.
- Seed size is quite small, that is weight of around upto 80 mg. These seeds are sown in nurseries in the month of March and April.
- Around 3 kg of seeds are sown on 1 hectare area. Then manure is added to get the plant nutrients as it wants.
- This is done twice a year.First year plant with rosette leaves and next year plant leaves are sessile leaves.
- Now the plants grow to the height. Ready plucked up. In the afternoon of August September.
- Basal leaves are especially collected. Colored leaves are preferred more. While collection time dry weather is preferable.
Preparation for market
After plucking the leaves are dried with vacuum dryers. The leaves are exposed to the atmosphere. Then the leaves are packed into airtight containers, with dehydrating agents.
Cardiotonic activity of leaves is all because of glycoside present in them. If there is moisture or any other enzymes it leads to deterioration of glycosides.
Macroscopic characters
Colour : dark greyish green
Odour : slightTaste : Bitter
Size : 10 to 40 cm long and 4 to 20 cm wider.
Shape : ovate and lanceolate
Microscopic characters
- Dorsiventral leafIt has anomocytic stomata Trichomes are uniseriate multicellular
- Glandular trichomes are located in veins.
- Free from calcium oxalate and sclerenchyma.
- Starch grains are located in the endodermis.
- Transverse section of digitalis leaf contains upper epidermis, palisade cells, spongy mesophyll, Lower epidermis, trichomes, collenchyma, xylem, phloem, pericycle, endodermis, collenchyma.
Chemical constituents
- 0.2 to 0.46% cardiac glycoside.
- Purpurea glycoside A and B. Other glycosides such as odoroside H, glucogitaloxin, gitaloxin, verodoxin and glucoverodoxin.
- Main constituent is Digitoxigenin. It has 2 saponin glycosides; they are digitonin and gitonin.
- Total number of glycosides in the drug is about 30.
- Leaves also contain hydrolytic enzymes.
- Preparations is in the form of tablets, digitalis tincture etc.
Chemical test
Keller Killiani test for digitoxoseBoil 1 gram of powdered digitalis with 10 ml of 70% alcohol for a few minutes upto three minutes. The extract filtered. To that filtrate add 5 ml water and 0.5ml of lead acetate solution, filtered. Now the filtrate is treated with equal volume of chloroform and evaporate yield extract. Extract dissolved in glacial acetic acid cooled down after that 2 drops of ferric chloride added to it. These contents are transferred to test tube containing 2 ml of conc. Sulphuric acid. A reddish brown layer convert into bluish green after few minutes due to digitoxose.
Digitalis uses
- It increases the activity of cardiac muscle and produces contractions.
- It is effective in CHF congestive heart failure conditions which cause cardiac arrest.
- It is also known as cardiac tonic.
- The disadvantage of digitalis is it’s cumulative effect.
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Conclusion :
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