Arjuna

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• arjun
• kumbuk
• white murdh
• Arjun tree

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Terminalia cuneata
• Pentaptera angustifolia
• Myrobalanus cuneata
• Pentaptera obovata
• Terminalia berryi
• Pentaptera glabra
• Terminalia crenulata var. roxburghii
• Terminalia ovalifolia
• Terminalia glabra
• Terminalia psidiifolia
• Pentaptera arjuna

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Myrtales, it is classified under the family Combretaceae. Specifically, Terminalia arjuna is identified by the genus Terminalia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution spanning across several distinct regions. Within the Indian Subcontinent, it is commonly found in areas such as Assam and Bangladesh. Its presence also extends into East Asia, specifically throughout China Southeast. Moving toward the Western Indian Ocean, the species can be located on the island of Mauritius. Additionally, the plant is known to inhabit the island of Rodrigues within the same oceanic region.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Terminalia arjuna is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment over many years. Throughout its long lifespan, the plant maintains a distinct physiological state as an evergreen, retaining its foliage to support continuous metabolic processes.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Terminalia arjuna is characterized by its robust growth form as a large, woody tree that can reach a significant plant height with a mean of approximately 30 m. As a self-supporting organism, it does not function as a climber, such as a liana or vine, nor does it exhibit any climbing habits. The plant is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, functioning neither as an aquatic nor a semiaquatic species, and it is similarly non-epiphytic, maintaining a terrestrial existence. Furthermore, it is an independent species, showing no parasitic behavior, and possesses a distinct woody structure throughout its development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

30 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Terminalia arjuna is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation mechanisms and metabolic efficiency within its natural habitat. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide directly through the enzyme RuBisCO, a process that is highly dependent on environmental temperature and moisture availability. Furthermore, this species does not function as a nitrogen fixer; it lacks the specialized symbiotic relationship with diazotrophic bacteria, such as Rhizobium, required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms, and instead relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Terminalia arjuna is facilitated through the production of seeds contained within drupaceous fruits, which serve as the primary unit of dispersal and regeneration. The reproductive success of the species is closely tied to the physical characteristics of its seeds, which exhibit a notable range in size and weight. Based on botanical data, the seed mass follows a specific distribution, with an average (mean) mass of approximately 1.408056667 g. This weight can vary significantly depending on environmental conditions and maturity, ranging from a minimum of 0.43917 g to a maximum of 2 g per seed. This variability in seed mass plays a crucial role in the plant's ability to colonize riparian habitats and manage resource allocation during the germination process.

Seed mass max:

2 g

Seed mass mean:

1.408056667 g

Seed mass min:

0.43917 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Terminalia arjuna has 4 reported plant parts identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include stem, fruit, leaf, root.

Stem

1. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
2. Natural product communications
3. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
4. Inflammopharmacology
5. Indian heart journal

Fruit

1. Journal of chromatographic science
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Natural product communications
4. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
5. International journal of food sciences and nutrition

Leaf

1. Biotechnology and applied biochemistry
2. Natural product communications
3. International journal of food sciences and nutrition
4. Journal of integrative medicine

Root

1. Journal of Asian natural products research
2. Fitoterapia
3. Natural product communications

Chemicals

Terminalia arjuna has 92 reported phytochemicals identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Arjunic acid, arjungenin, Arjunetin, Flavonoids, Tannins.

Arjunic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Journal of Asian natural products research
4. Indian heart journal
5. Phytochemical analysis : PCA

arjungenin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
4. Journal of chromatographic science
5. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology

Arjunetin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
4. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
5. Biomolecules

Flavonoids

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
5. Heliyon

Tannins

1. Indian heart journal
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Arjunolic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
4. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
5. Biomolecules

ellagic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. International journal of food sciences and nutrition
5. Indian journal of experimental biology

Gallic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of chromatographic science
3. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

arjunglucoside I

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytochemical analysis : PCA
3. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology
4. Biomolecules

triterpenoids

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Current pharmaceutical design

Activities

Terminalia arjuna has 261 reported activities identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Cardioprotective, Cardiotonic, Antibacterial, Antihypertensive.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
4. Indian journal of experimental biology
5. Indian heart journal

Cardioprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
4. Journal of cardiovascular translational research
5. Biology open

Cardiotonic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Platelets
4. Inflammopharmacology
5. Cardiology research and practice

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic
3. Journal of oleo science
4. Canadian journal of microbiology

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions
3. Current pharmaceutical design
4. Canadian journal of microbiology

Antimutagenic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
3. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer
4. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. BioMed research international
4. Chemistry & biodiversity

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Cell biochemistry and function

Hypolipidemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Indian journal of experimental biology
3. Platelets
4. International journal of cardiology

Hypotensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biology open
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine

Conditions

Terminalia arjuna has 78 reported investigations on conditions identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include coronary artery disease, heart failure, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia.

Coronary artery disease

1. Platelets
2. Journal of cardiovascular translational research
3. International journal of Ayurveda research
4. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic
5. The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India

Heart failure

1. International journal of cardiology
2. American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. International journal of Ayurveda research
5. Alternative medicine review : a journal of clinical therapeutic

Atherosclerosis

1. Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Inflammopharmacology
4. International journal of cardiology

Cardiovascular diseases

1. American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hyperlipidemia

1. Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery
2. Indian journal of experimental biology
3. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
4. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Hypertension

1. American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions
2. International journal of Ayurveda research
3. Natural products and bioprospecting
4. Current pharmaceutical design

Cancer

1. RSC advances
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Molecular biology reports

Inflammation

1. Journal of cardiovascular translational research
2. Heliyon
3. RSC advances

Ischemic heart disease

1. Indian heart journal
2. American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions
3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

Myocardial infarction

1. International journal of cardiology
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Indian heart journal

Preparations

Terminalia arjuna has 59 reported preparations identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include bark, methanolic extract, Terminalia arjuna extract, aqueous extract, bark extract.

Bark

1. International journal of food sciences and nutrition
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Current pharmaceutical design
4. Cardiology research and practice

Methanolic extract

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
2. Biopharmaceutics & drug disposition
3. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine

Terminalia arjuna extract

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. Frontiers in pharmacology

Aqueous extract

1. Molecular biology reports
2. Cell biochemistry and function

Bark extract

1. Indian heart journal
2. International journal of cardiology

Methanol extracts

1. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Aqueous bark extract

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Aqueous extract

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Ayurvedic formulations

1. Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer

Bark stem powder

1. Indian heart journal