Many Chinese herbs act by way of the same pathways as cardiac glycosides, such as ouabain. Ouabain and such chemicals act by inhibition of the sodium pump (Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase.)

The result of the present study was that all of the chemicals tested showed activity similar to ouabain and, usually, of a lesser degree. Bufalin had greater activity than the rest. Ursolic acid and oleanolic acid showed moderate inhibition of the sodium pump, similar to the effect of ginsenoside.

Common Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris) contains rosmarinic acid and triterpenoid. Self Heal’s actions are immunostimulatory and anti-microbial.

CONCLUSION: Due to the effect of plant steroids (glycosides) on the sodium pump, many may be useful for cardiac therapy, such as are ouabain-like drugs.

NOTE: The full article is, unfortunately, unavailable in English. This summary is based on the abstract, only. Rosemary is Rosemarinus officinalis, which contains rosemarinic acid. Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is not a true ginseng.

Read about how Chinese medicines which are cardiac glycosides can be used to alter cell pH for cancer therapy.

PMID: 20523340.

Summary #420.