Abstract

CARDIOPROTECTIVE DRUGS WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO KITAB AL-ADWIYAH AL-QALBIYAH: A REVIEW

Mursaleen Naseer*, Mohd Anwar and Mohd Yunus Siddiqui

ABSTRACT

Cardiac diseases (Amraze Qalb) are the important cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. Despite of tremendous development in the field of cardiology, Ischaemic Heart Diseases are still posing a challenge to medical fraternity. It is a general perception that concept of cardiac diseases did not exist in Unani Medicine. Contrary to it, concept of cardiac disease prevailed since ancient period. Most of the Unani Scholars enumerated the full description of cardiac diseases in their treatises. Kitab al-Adwiyah al-Qalbiyah is one the important lexicon written by Ibn sina which encompasses all the aspect of cardiac diseases including drugs and their pharmacological actions. It deals with 63 medicines for heart. Some of the drugs mentioned in Kitab al- Adwiyah al-Qalbiyah are quite effective in the treatment of Cardiac diseases (Amraze Qalb) such as Abresham (Bombyx mori), Darunaj Aqrabi (Doronicum hookeri), Badranjboya (Melissa officinalis). Some of these drugs possess very important pharmacological actions. Active princilples/alkaloids of such drugs are widely used in the complementary system of medicine. For example Bed Mishk (Salix caprea Linn.) is used as muqqavi qalb (cardiotonic) but now its active ingredient Acetyl saliclysilic acid (Asprin) is widely used as cardioprotective agent. Recent chemical and experimental studies have also proven their therapeutic potential. This paper will provide a brief description of drugs mentioned in Kitab al-Adwiyah al-Qalbiyah pertaining to cardio protective properties of drugs and explore the therapeutic potential of such drugs that can be used for the prevention of cardiac diseases.

Keywords: Cardioprotective, Advia Qalbia, Unani Medicine.