“I’m totally gaga about the flower colors on the bell like blooms of Digitalis Goldcrest. The inch-long blossoms held on upright stems are a gorgeous peachy-yellow marked with maroon red spots. This ...

Understanding the Context

Foxglove, a flowering plant long feared for its toxicity, became an unlikely source of a widely studied heart drug. Digoxin, a cardiac glycoside associated in modern medicine with Digitalis species ... Digitalis is native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwestern Africa. The flowers are tubular in shape, produced on a tall spike, and vary in colour with species, from purple to pink, white, and yellow.

Key Insights

Learn about the potential benefits of Digitalis including contraindications, adverse reactions, toxicology, pharmacology and historical usage. digitalis, drug obtained from the dried leaves of the common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) and used in medicine to strengthen contractions of the heart muscle. Digoxin belongs to the class of medicines called digitalis glycosides. It is used to improve the strength and efficiency of the heart, or to control the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat. Digitalis is a group of powerful heart medications derived from the foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea).

Final Thoughts

These drugs contain compounds called cardiac glycosides that strengthen the heart’s contractions and help control irregular heart rhythms. Cardiac glycosides represent a family of compounds that are derived from the foxglove plant (Digitalis purpurea). The therapeutic benefits of digitalis were first described by William Withering in 1785. Initially, digitalis was used to treat dropsy, which is an old term for edema.