Arjuna product safety and benefits, review of published trials and how to use it for heart health improvement
Terminalia arjuna study results

Ancient Indian Medical knowledge known as Ayurveda goes back millennia. The Vedas and Puranas refer various materials of medical importance including herbs, plants and trees, etc. Ancient medical scientists have mentioned the properties of Arjuna. Modern research has discovered that Arjuna has antioxidant properties and may be clinically helpful in patients with angina or other cardiovascular conditions. The ideal dosage of arjuna bark or the extract is not well known as far as using this natural product for months and years. We also don't have a good understanding how this herb interacts with heart medications or blood pressure medications. If you take prescription medications for heart or blood pressure problems, talk to your doctor before starting arjuna pills.

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Arjuna Supplement Facts

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Terminalia arjuna Bark -  500 mg
Terminalia arjuna Bark Extract - 50 mg
    (standardized 10:1 extract)

Suggested use: Take one Arjuna tablet once a day or as recommended by your health care provider.

Arjuna and the Heart health
Arjuna is helpful in patients with angina (see study below)
Arjunolic acid, a new triterpene and a potent principle from the bark of Terminalia arjuna, has been shown to provide significant cardiac protection in isoproterenol induced myocardial necrosis in rats. Arjunolic acid treatment prevents the decrease in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, ceruloplasmin, alpha-tocopherol, reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid, lipid peroxide, MPO and the cardioprotection is confirmed by the histopathological studies. This study shows that the cardioprotection of arjunolic acid pre and post treatment could possibly be due to the protective effect against the damage caused by myocardial necrosis.

Additional benefits of Arjuna
Arjuna has compounds that protect against DNA damage from toxins.
Compounds in Arjuna lower cholesterol and have antioxidant properties.

Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn.--a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Nov 1; Dwivedi S. Preventive Cardiology Group, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi 110095, India.
Ancient Indian physicians used the powdered tree bark of Terminalia arjuna for alleviating "hritshool" (angina) and other cardiovascular conditions. Its stem bark possesses glycosides, large quantities of flavonoids, tannins and minerals. Flavonoids have been detected to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid lowering effects while glycosides are cardiotonic, thus making Terminalia arjuna unique amongst currently used medicinal plants. In this review an attempt has been made to discuss various aspects of its ethnomedical, pharmacognostical, phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical relevance to cardiovascular conditions. Experimental studies have revealed its bark exerting significant inotropic and hypotensive effect, increasing coronary artery flow and protecting myocardium against ischemic damage. It has also been detected to have mild diuretic, antithrombotic, prostaglandin E(2) enhancing and hypolipidaemic activity. There is ample clinical evidence of its beneficial effect in coronary artery disease alone and along with statin. However, toxicological studies in experimental animals are lacking. Considering its anti-ischemic activity and its potential to correct dyslipidemia, reduce left ventricular mass and increase left ventricular ejection fraction, it is essential to examine the molecular mechanism of its action and its core constituents. Proposition to administer Terminalia arjuna along with statins deserves to be explored in depth for defining its place in the over all management and prevention of coronary artery disease.

Cancer
Effect of Terminalia arjuna on antioxidant defense system in cancer.
Mol Biol Rep. 2009 Jan; Verma N, Vinayak M. Centre of Advanced Study in Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India.
Constant production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during aerobic metabolism is balanced by antioxidant defense system of an organism. Although low level of ROS is important for various physiological functions, its accumulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. It is generally assumed that frequent consumption of phytochemicals derived from vegetables, fruits, tea and herbs may contribute to shift the balance towards an adequate antioxidant status. The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of aqueous extract of medicinal plant Terminalia arjuna on antioxidant defense system in lymphoma bearing AKR mice. Antioxidant action of T. arjuna is monitored by the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S transferase which constitute major antioxidant defense system by scavenging ROS. These enzyme activities are low in lymphoma bearing mice indicating impaired antioxidant defense system. Oral administration of different doses of aqueous extract of T. arjuna causes significant elevation in the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S transferase. Terminalia arjuna is found to down regulate anaerobic metabolism by inhibiting the activity of lactate dehydrogenase in lymphoma bearing mice, which was elevated in untreated cancerous mice. The results indicate the antioxidant action of aqueous extract of T. arjuna, which may play a role in the anti carcinogenic activity by reducing the oxidative stress along with inhibition of anaerobic metabolism.

Compounds found in Arjuna
A triterpene glycoside, arjunetoside, together with oleanolic and arjunic acids, and a cardenolide, have been isolated from the root bark of Terminalia arjuna.

Arjuna, 550 mg
Planetary Herbals
Terminalia arjuna Bark
Terminalia arjuna Bark Extract  (standardized 10:1 extract)

Arjuna study
Antimutagenic activities of acetone and methanol fractions of Terminalia arjuna.
Kaur K. Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India. kamal_Food Chem Toxicol. 2002 Oct;40(10):1475-82.
The antimutagenic effect of benzene, chloroform, acetone and methanol fractions from Terminalia arjuna, a well-known medicinal plant, was determined against Acid Black dye, 2-aminofluorene (2AF) and 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) in TA98 Frameshift mutagen tester strain of Salmonella typhimurium. Among the different fractions, the antimutagenic effect of acetone and methanol fractions was more than that observed with other fractions. Co-incubation and pre-incubation modes of experimentation did not show much difference in the antimutagenic activity of the extracts. Moreover, these fractions inhibited the S9-dependent mutagens, 2AF and Acid Black dye more effectively than the direct-acting mutagens. Studies are under way to isolate and elucidate the nature of the antimutagenic factor in acetone and methanol fractions of arjuna.

Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna with isosorbide mononitrate.
Bharani A. MGM Medical College and MY Hospital, Indore, MP. Indian Heart J. 2002 Mar-Apr;54(2):170-5.
Terminalia arjuna, an Indian medicinal plant, has been reported to have beneficial effects in patients with ischemic heart disease in a number of small, open studies. The need for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study with adequate sample size has long been felt. The arjuna bark extract contains acids (arjunic acid, terminic acid), glycosides (arjunetin arjunosides), strong antioxidants (flavones, tannins, oligomeric proanthocyanidins), minerals. etc. and exhibits anti-ischemic properties. Fifty-eight males with chronic stable angina (NYHA class II-III) with evidence of provocable ischemia on treadmill exercise test received Terminalia arjuna (500 mg 8 hourly), isosorbide mononitrate (40 mg/daily) or a matching placebo for one week each, separated by a wash-out period of at least three days in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. They underwent clinical, biochemical and treadmill exercise evaluation at the end of each therapy which were compared during the three therapy periods. Terminalia arjuna therapy was associated with significant decrease in the frequency of angina and need for isosorbide dinitrate. The treadmill exercise test parameters improved significantly during therapy with Terminalia arjuna compared to those with placebo. The total duration of exercise increased, maximal ST depression during the longest equivalent stages of submaximal exercise decreased , time to recovery decreased, and higher double products were achieved during Terminalia arjuna therapy. Similar improvements in clinical and treadmill exercise test parameters were observed with isosorbide mononitrate compared to placebo therapy. No significant differences were observed in clinical or treadmill exercise test parameters when Terminalia arjuna and isosorbide mononitrate therapies were compared. No significant untoward effects were reported during Terminalia arjuna therapy. Terminalia arjuna bark extract, 500 mg 8 hourly, given to patients with stable angina with provocable ischemia on treadmill exercise, led to improvement in clinical and treadmill exercise parameters as compared to placebo therapy. These benefits were similar to those observed with isosorbide mononitrate (40 mg/day) therapy and the extract was well tolerated. Limitations of this study include applicability of the results to only men with chronic stable angina but not necessarily to women, as they were not studied.

Modulatory effect of phenolic fractions of Terminalia arjuna on the mutagenicity in Ames assay.
Kaur K, Arora S, DGuru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2002;21(1):45-56.
We determined the antimutagenicity of phenolic fractions of Terminalia arjuna (soluble and insoluble in chloroform) against two direct-acting mutagens, 4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine (NPD) and sodium azide, and against the S9-dependent mutagen 2-aminofluorene (2AF), in TA98 and TA100 tester strains of Salmonella typhimurium. We found that the phenolic fractions of T. arjuna inhibited revertants induced by the S9-dependent mutagen more remarkably than the direct-acting mutagens. Furthermore, the phenolic fractions showed maximum inhibition of 98% and 101.55%, respectively, in the pre-incubation mode of treatment against the mutations induced by 2AF. Overall, the fractions inhibited the revertants induced by S9-dependent mutagens more effectively than those induced by direct-acting mutagens. The percentage of inhibition was higher in the pre-incubation than with direct acting mutagens. The fraction insoluble in chloroform showed more inhibition than the soluble one, which corresponds to a higher polyphenol content in the insoluble fraction than in the soluble extract.

Antioxidant and hypocholesterolaemic effects of Terminalia arjuna tree-bark powder: a randomised placebo-controlled trial.
Gupta R, Singhal S, Monilek Hospital and Research Centre, Jaipur. J Assoc Physicians India. 2001 Feb;49:231-5.
To evaluate the antioxidant and hypocholesterolemic effects of Terminalia arjuna tree bark (a popular cardiotonic substance in Indian pharmacopoeia) and to compare it with a known antioxidant, vitamin E, we performed a randomized controlled trial. One hundred and five successive patients with coronary heart disease presenting to our centre were recruited and using a Latin-square design divided into 3 groups of 35 each. The groups were matched for age, lifestyle and dietary variables, clinical diagnosis and drug treatment status. None of the patients was on lipid-lowering drugs. Supplemental vitamins were stopped for one month before study began and American Heart Association Step II dietary advice was given to all. At baseline, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol and lipid peroxide estimated as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were determined. Group I received placebo capsules; Group II vitamin E capsules 400 units/day; and Group III received finely pulverized T. arjuna tree bark-powder (500 mg) in capsules daily. Lipids and lipid peroxide levels were determined at 30 days follow-up. Response rate in various groups varied from 86% to 91%. No significant changes in total, HDL, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels were seen in Groups I and II. In Group III there was a significant decrease in total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol. Lipid peroxide levels decreased significantly in both the treatment groups. This decrease was more in vitamin E group as compared to the T. arjuna group. Terminalia arjuna tree bark powder has significant antioxidant action that is comparable to vitamin E. In addition, it also has a significant hypocholesterolaemic effect.

Arjuna pills emails
Can arjuna pills and Hoodia-Extract be taken together? What about Green-Tea-Extract or the herb tribulus?
    Those with heart disease should be careful using high doses of supplements and should learn how each one works by itself, and how it influences heart rhythm, before combining. We have not seen an arjuna study that has evaluated these combinations.