Medicinal properties of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.: A review

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been a main source of therapeutic agents from ancient time to cure diseases. Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. (T. arjuna) is one of the most accepted and beneficial medicinal plants in indigenous system of medicine for the treatment of various critical diseases. This comprehensive review provides various aspects of its ethnomedical, phytochemical, pharmacognostical, pharmacological and clinical significance to different diseases particularly in cardiovascular conditions. This plant has a good safety outline when used in combination with other conventional drugs. This review highlights various medicinal properties of T. arjuna through different studies such as antioxidant, hypotensive, anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-mutagenic and gastro-productive effect.

Antibacterial, Antioxidant, Chemical Constituents, and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Terminalia Arjuna (Roxb. Ex Dc.) Wight and Arn

“…Various chemical constituents have been reported in the stem bark, roots, and fruits of T. arjuna including arjunin, arjunic acid, arjungenin, terminic acid, terminoltin, arjunolic acid, qudranoside VIII, kajiichigoside F1, arjunetin, arjunaphthanoloside, arjunglucoside IV and V, arjunasides A-E, luteolin, gallic acid, kempferol, pelargonidin, 3-O-methyl-ellagic acid, 4-O-b-D-xylopyranoside, pyrocatechols, castalagin, casuariin, casuarinin, punicalagin, terchebulin, β-sitosterol, arjunoside I-IV, oleanolic acid, arjunetosie, arachidic stearate, cerasidin, ellagic acid, fridelin, hentriacontane, methyl oleaolate, myristyl oleate and many more. However, only a few compounds were isolated from leaves of T. arjuna including luteolin and 14,16-dianhydrogitoxigenin [11]. In the present work, about 84 constituents were identified in AE of T. arjuna leaves in GC-MS analysis.…”

“…The detailed analysis of the literature showed the presence of various previous studies mostly on the pharmacological properties of stem bark and fruits of T. arjuna [11,25]. Moreover, only few studies on free radical scavenging and antibacterial activity of leaves of T. arjuna has been carried formerly.…”

“…The genus Terminalia (Combretaceae) comprises nearly 200 species distributed around the world. Nearly, 24 species of Terminalia have been reported from various parts of India [11].…”

“…Wight and Arn is generally known as Arjuna, Indradru, Partha, and Veeravriksha [12]. T. arjuna is about 60-80 feet in height, distributed in India, Burma, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka [11]. Leaves are relatively simple, usually crenulations, subopposite and with acute apex.…”

“…It is also useful to cure obesity, hypertension, and hyperglycemia [19]. Various phytoconstituents including arjunin, arjunic acid, qudranoside VIII, terminarjunoside I and II, luteolin, baicalein, kempferol, oligomeric proanthocyanidins, pelargonidin, quercetin, β-sitosterol, hentriacontane, methyl oleaolate, and myristyl oleate are obtained from stem bark, root, and fruits of T. arjuna [11].…”