EFSA Compendium of Botanicals

Draft - work in progress

Digitalis purpurea L.

Family:: Plantaginaceae
Approval state:: Approved
Number of articles retrieved:: 1685
Number of processed references:: 6

Compositions

#1: cardiac glycosides in seeds #2: Digitoxin in leaves #3: digitoxin in seeds #4: digitoxin in leaves #5: digitoxin in flowers #6: digitoxin (quantitative) in D. purpurea #7: digitoxin in leaves (quantitative)

Endpoint Studies

#1: cardiac glycoside poisoning #2: case of ingestion of Digitalis purpurea in a 64-year-old man, which was fatal

Genotoxicity

Composition #1: Schmiedeberg. The active principles of foxglove. pharmaceutical journal, v(3), 741-3, None, vol. aceutical Journal v, no. 3, p. 741–3. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

unspecified
Substance:

cardiac glycosides (RF-00010823-PAR)
Additional substance description:

Digitonin, digitalin and digitalein
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

cardiac glycosides in seeds

Composition #2: Schmiedeberg. The active principles of foxglove. pharmaceutical journal, v(3), 741-3, None, vol. aceutical Journal v, no. 3, p. 741–3. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Extraction/Preparation method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional extraction description:

ethanol 50%
Substance:

digitoxin (RF-00003778-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Yes/No Qualitative:

Positive/Present (POS)
Result type:

Qualitative Value (Binary) (BIN)
Internal remarks:

Digitoxin in leaves

Composition #3: Barentsen, A. The Cultivation of Digitalis purpurea and the Distribution of Digitoxin in its Various Parts. ons orgaan, 1910, p. Ons Orgaan (1910). .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Seed (as part-nature) (A066P)
Additional extraction description:

unspecified
Substance:

digitoxin (RF-00003778-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Analytical method - additional description:

digitoxin detected by the Keller-Fromme method
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

0.229
Internal remarks:

digitoxin in seeds

Composition #4: Barentsen, A. The Cultivation of Digitalis purpurea and the Distribution of Digitoxin in its Various Parts. ons orgaan, 1910, p. Ons Orgaan (1910). .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Additional extraction description:

unspecified
Substance:

digitoxin (RF-00003778-PAR)
Additional substance description:

in radical leaves
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Analytical method - additional description:

digitoxin detected by the Keller-Fromme method
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

0.527-0.531
Internal remarks:

digitoxin in leaves

Composition #5: Barentsen, A. The Cultivation of Digitalis purpurea and the Distribution of Digitoxin in its Various Parts. ons orgaan, 1910, p. Ons Orgaan (1910). .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Flower (as part-nature) (A067B)
Additional extraction description:

unspecified
Substance:

digitoxin (RF-00003778-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Analytical method - additional description:

digitoxin detected by the Keller-Fromme method
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

0.536-0.585
Internal remarks:

digitoxin in flowers

Composition #6: Bertonasco, Eraldo. The digitoxin content of Digitalis purpurea. bollettino chimico farmaceutico, 1935, vol. 74, p. 114. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Unspecified (A07XD)
Additional extraction description:

unspecified
Substance:

digitoxin (RF-00003778-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

0.22
Internal remarks:

digitoxin (quantitative) in D. purpurea

Composition #7: Spagnol, G., Manzano, N. Yield and characteristics of digitoxin obtained from Digitalis purpurea Nahuel-Huapi. revista sud-americana de endocrinologia, immunologia y quimioterapia, 1935, vol. 18, p. 683–9. .

Language:

English (en)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Additional extraction description:

unspecified
Substance:

digitoxin (RF-00003778-PAR)
Analytical method code:

Unspecified (F598A)
Result unit:

Percent (G138A)
Result expression:

Dry matter (B002A)
Result type:

Numerical Value (VAL)
Value (concentration, content):

0.317
Internal remarks:

digitoxin in leaves (quantitative)

Endpoint study #1: Lacassie, E., Marquet, P., Martin-Dupont, S., Gaulier, JM., Lachatre, G. A non-fatal case of intoxication with foxglove, documented by means of liquid chromatography-electrospray-mass spectrometry . journal of forensic sciences, 2000, vol. 45, no. 5, p. 1154–1158. .

Study relevance:

Human health
Substance:

cardiac glycosides (RF-00010823-PAR)
Plant part:

Leaves (as part-nature) (A0EKT)
Preparation/Extraction method:

Solvent extraction (A0BZR)
Additional plant/substance description:

infusion
Type of toxicological test:

case report (CHD060TT)
Limit test:

Not applicable
Tested organism:

Human (as organism) (A056J)
Sex:

Female
Route of exposure:

ORAL: UNSPECIFIED (OECD2234PL)
Exposure duration:

1.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Meal (G109A)
Number of organisms dosed:

1
Control groups used:

no
Endpoint measured:

Dose not reported (CHD066EP)
Critical effect:

SYSTEMIC (TOX01A)
Target tissue:

Digestive (TT002A)
Effect description:

bradychardia, nausea, vomiting, malaise, weakness, confusion, and disorientation
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

other (CHD003BE)
Internal remarks:

cardiac glycoside poisoning

Endpoint study #2: Ramlakhan, Shammi L., Fletcher, Alan K. It could have happened to Van Gogh: a case of fatal purple foxglove poisoning and review of the literature . european journal of emergency medicine, 2007, vol. 14, no. 6, p. 356–359. .

Study relevance:

Human health
Plant part:

Live plants (as part-nature) (A0BA0)
Preparation/Extraction method:

Fresh (A166Y)
Type of toxicological test:

case report (CHD060TT)
Limit test:

Not applicable
Tested organism:

Human (as organism) (A056J)
Sex:

Male
Exposure duration:

1.0
Unit of exposure duration:

Meal (G109A)
Number of organisms dosed:

1
Control groups used:

no
Endpoint measured:

Dose not reported (CHD066EP)
Critical effect:

PULMONARY AND CARDIAC (TOX08A)
Target tissue:

cardiovascular / haematological: Heart (TT011A)
Effect description:

bradycardia and aterioventricular block, followed by sinus arrest
Effect or parameter linked to the endpoint:

mortality (CHD010BE)
Internal remarks:

case of ingestion of Digitalis purpurea in a 64-year-old man, which was fatal