Convallatoxin
Solvents: Water, excellent; Alcohol, good; Glycerin, good; Vinegar, poor; Oil, poor
Similar to digitalis for heart problems
Wikipedia
Convallatoxin is a glycoside extracted from Convallaria majalis.
Foxglove is generally avoided as a botanical medicine due to toxicity. However, Lily-of-the-Valley is still used in naturopathic therapeutics to treat various arrhythmias. This herb contains a mixture of some 40 carenolides; convalloside, convallatoxin, and convallatoxol are the major constituents. These compounds are rather poorly absorbed in the human digestive tract, resulting in a greatly reduced toxic potential compared to that of Digitalis. Although Convallaria is often regarded as a poisonous plant, some 85-90% of accidental ingestion result in no toxicity symptoms, while nausea and vomiting occur in the other 10-15% of cases. Fatalities are extremely rare.
Convallariawas highly regarded as a cardiac remedy by the Eclectics and was listed in older editions of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. In King's American Dispensatory, Lloyd and Felter wrote that 'compared with Digitalis, Convallaria is generally as efficient, both as a heart tonic and as a diuretic, and in many cases is said to act better. It is safer than Digitalis, which may destroy life by paralyzing the heart, an effect never produced by Convallaria. Moreover, it is freer from cumulative effects.” Contemporary research has confirmed Lily-of-the-Valley's positive inotropic activity in animals.
Action and uses
Similar to digitalis, it is mainly used for acute and chronic heart failure.
Detection
Convallatoxin can be detected alongside digoxin using luminescent oxygen channelling technology–based digoxin assay LOCI which could possibly detect other glycosides present in plasma derived from Lily of the Valley plant.
Based on the observed apparent digoxin concentration, convallatoxin concentration in the serum can be calculated using a formula: y = 89.9x2 – 524x + 617.3 y = convallotoxin (ng/mL) x = LOCI digoxin concentration (ng/mL)[1]