Ibn Sina's cardiac drug zarnab

ABSTRACT

The brief survey of the yew [Taxus baccata L.] shows that its active principle, taxine, has negative inotropic, negative chronotropic and A-V blocking effects which result from its Na- and Ca-current inhibiting properties. It is interesting that the yew, called as zarnab by Ibn Sina, was mentioned in his cardiac drugs. Ibn Sina recommended it as a cardiac remedy much earlier than his colleagues in the West who use the drugs having similar actions, in the therapy of arrhythmias and angina pectoris