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Glam Journal

What are Cardenolides and Bufadienolides?

Author

Matthew Shields

Updated on March 11, 2026

What are Cardenolides and Bufadienolides?

Cardenolides are 23-carbon steroids with an α,β-unsaturated five-membered lactone ring on carbon 17. These include digitoxin, convallatoxin, and evonoside. Bufadienolides are 24-carbon steroids with a double unsaturated six-membered lactone ring on carbon 17. These are the carbons at the 3-, 14, and 17-positions.

What is the difference between Cardenolides and Bufadienolides?

is that cardenolide is (organic chemistry) any of many steroid lactones present in plants as glycosides; they are all toxic, affecting the heart while bufadienolide is (steroid|poison) any of a class of toxic steroids present in some plants and secreted by some toads through the skin as a defense; sometimes present as …

What is the source of cardenolide?

Cardenolides are a group of cardiac-active steroids that have a five- or six-membered lactone ring and, in most cases, a sugar moiety, and are found mainly in plants belonging to Asclepidaceae and Apocynaceae, such as ouabain (Figure 10) from an African plant, Acokanthera ouabaio (Apocynaceae), but also in plants …

What is Cardenolides writes its chemistry and mechanism of action?

A cardenolide is a type of steroid. Cardenolides are toxic to animals through inhibition of the enzyme Na+/K+‐ATPase, which is responsible for maintaining the sodium and potassium ion gradients across cell membranes.

What is bufadienolide in pharmacognosy?

Bufadienolide is a chemical compound with steroid structure. Both bufadienolides and their glycosides are toxic; specifically, they can cause an atrioventricular block, bradycardia (slow heartbeat), ventricular tachycardia (a type of rapid heartbeat), and possibly lethal cardiac arrest.

What are Cardenolides in milkweed?

The larvae sequester toxic steroids, known as cardenolides, from milkweed (Brower 1969; Brower & Glazier 1975; Malcolm 1991, 1995), and they use these cardenolides as a defense against predators. The bad taste and toxicity of both the larvae and adults are advertised by conspicuous, warning coloration.

What is Bufadienolide in pharmacognosy?

Which one is an example of Bufadienolide drug?

The active ingredient is bufadienolides, such as bufalin, cinobufagin, and resibufogenin. Bufalin (structurally similar to digoxin) is known to increase vasoconstriction, vascular resistance, and blood pressure, probably by inhibiting Na/K-ATPase activity and/or interfering with calcium ion concentration.

Which drug contains Bufadienolide?

A bufadienolide-rich plant Scilla maritima was used by Egyptians to cure heart diseases. Bufadienolides are also the principal bioactive ingredient of a traditional Chinese drug Ch’an Su, containing the skin secretions of toads such as Bufo gargarizans Cantor and Bufo melanostictus Schneider.

Is Scillaren a Cardenolide?

Cardenolides are 23-carbon steroids with an α,β-unsaturated five-membered lactone ring on carbon 17. These include digitoxin, convallatoxin, and evonoside. Bufadienolides are 24-carbon steroids with a double unsaturated six-membered lactone ring on carbon 17. Examples include convallamarin, scillaren, and hellebrin.

What was ouabain originally used for?

Ouabain /wɑːˈbɑːɪn/ or /ˈwɑːbeɪn, ˈwæ-/ (from Somali waabaayo, “arrow poison” through French ouabaïo) also known as g-strophanthin, is a plant derived toxic substance that was traditionally used as an arrow poison in eastern Africa for both hunting and warfare.

What are the three components of a Cardenolide glycoside molecule?

Cardenolide: a 23-carbon structure with three components: a steroid backbone structure of four fused C rings, a five-membered lactone group (a butenolide) at C-17, and a carbohydrate or sugar moiety attached to C-3 of the first carbon ring (Fig. 1).

What is the structure of a cardenolide?

Cardenolides are C (23)-steroids with methyl groups at C-10 and C-13 and a five-membered lactone (specifically a butenolide) at C-17. They are aglycone constituents of cardiac glycosides and must have at least one double bond in the molecule. The class includes cardadienolides and cardatrienolides. Members include:

What is the difference between cardenolides and aglycones?

Cardenolides are a class of steroids (or aglycones if viewed as cardiac glycoside constituents), and cardenolides are a subtype of this class (see MeSH D codes list ). Cardenolides are C (23)-steroids with methyl groups at C-10 and C-13 and a five-membered lactone (specifically a butenolide) at C-17.

What is the history of cardenolides?

It is believed that cardenolides were a part of herbal remedies administered to humans, as long ago as the Roman Empire. However, the scientific study and medical use of cardenolides report to approximately 200 years ago.

What is the root word of Cardanolide?

The term derives from card- “heart” (from Greek καρδία kardiā) and the suffix -enolide, referring to the lactone ring at C17. Cardanolides are a class of steroids (or aglycones if viewed as cardiac glycoside constituents), and cardenolides are a subtype of this class (see MeSH D codes list ).