Terminalia arjuna, commonly known as arjuna tree is about 60-80 ft in height, and is seen along rivers, streams, and dry water bodies in Asia. It belongs to the plant family of Combretaceae. It has been used in the Indian subcontinent for centuries in the management of anginal pain, hypertension, congestive heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy and dyslipidemia, based on the observations of ancient physicians for centuries.
Extracts of the stem bark have shown to possess many pharmacological properties including inotropic (better cardiac output), anti-ischemic (increased oxygen supply to heart muscles), antioxidant, blood pressure lowering, antiplatelet(prevents formation of clots), hypolipidemic (lowers total cholesterol and triglyceride levels), antiatherogenic (prevents plaque formation in blood vessels), and antihypertrophic (prevents thickening of heart muscles).
