Red foxglove: Digitalis purpurea L. from the plantain family. European poisonous plant which gets its name from the shape of its flowers, which resemble a foxglove. Latin name: Digitalis.
Biennial plant, only in the 2nd year does a flower stalk up to 2 m high grow, flowering time June/July.
The leaves (Digitalis purpureae folium) are used pharmacologically. These contain heart-active steroids: cardenolides (cardenolide glycosides), purpurea glycosides A, B and E with the aglycones digitoxigenin, gitoxigenin and gitaloxigenin; also steroid saponins and pregnane glycosides.
Due to the high toxicity of Digitalis purpurea leaves
No HMPC monograph, no ESCOP monograph and no Commission E monograph.
Due to the content of strongly cardioactive cardenolides, Digitalis purpurea leaves cannot be classified as a traditional herbal medicinal product according to § 39a AMG.
Digitalis leaves are used industrially to isolate cardenolide glycosides(digoxin, digitoxin, lanatoside C, a- and b-acetyldigoxin).