The Story of AmiodaroneDiscovery of an anti-arrhythmic drug by exploring a medicinal plant, from history to clinical practice

Medicinal plants have been targets for the development of new drugs since ancient times.1 Several common cardiovascular agents —including digoxin, quinidine, atropine, and amiodarone—have originated from plants. Among these, amiodarone is the most recently discovered. It was derived from the plantAmmi visnaga (L.) Lam., a medicinal herb traditionally and historically prescribed for a variety of conditions, including, but not limited to, urinary stones, asthma, chest pain, and menstrual disorders in different civilizations since ancient times.2 It was prescribed for such clinical use at least more than 1000  years ago by ancient and medieval physicians such as Avicenna, the Persian physician in 10th century AD.3 Although digoxin and quinidine that have lost their clinical significance in modern times, amiodarone is regarded as a valuable anti-arrhythmic drug (AAD) that can be used for arrhythmias. Therefore, it represents a successful example of plant-derived medicine in cardiology.
Source: European Heart Journal - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research