Description

Terminalia arjuna, the Arjuna tree, is a large, evergreen to semi-evergreen tree of the family Combretaceae, native to the riverbanks, moist deciduous forests, and riparian habitats of the Indian subcontinent — particularly along the Yamuna, Godavari, and Krishna river systems — and extending to Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The tree is characterised by distinctive smooth, pale grey-green bark that peels in thin layers from the buttressed trunk. The bark — Arjuna Tvak in Sanskrit — is documented in the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam as a premier Hridya (cardiac) herb, incorporated in formulations for heart health, hypertension, and cardiac tonification. Rich in triterpenoid glycosides (arjunic acid, arjunolic acid), flavonoids (arjunone, arjunetin), and co-enzyme Q10, the bark is incorporated in the classical formulation Arjunarishta and in numerous Ayurvedic cardiac preparations. Listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India.