An Overview of Cardiotonic Medicinal Plants from the Perspective of Iranian Traditional Medicine

Context: Cardiovascular disorders are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, especially in people with diabetes. Due to synthetic drugs’ adverse effects, new medicines are needed. Evidence Acquisition: Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) is one of the oldest medical systems. In this article, we first introduce a list of cardiotonic medicinal plants based on ITM. Then we review the cardio-related effects of these plants based on electronic databases. Results: Among the introduced medicinal plants from ITM, Phyllanthus emblica L., Rosa canina L., Ocimum basilicum L., and Melissa officinalis L. have cardiotonic effects. Also, P. emblica, O. basilicum, M. officinalis, Citrus medica L., Malus domestica Borkh., Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, and R. canina have cardioprotective effects and possess several biological activities that reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. Conclusions: The cardiotonic medicinal plants based on ITM have excellent value; several pharmacological studies have proved some of their cardioprotective and cardiotonic effects. The other plants’ potential for improving the heart’s contractile power as a cardiotonic drug must be evaluated in further pharmacological and clinical studies.