Red foxglove: Digitalis purpurea L. from the plantain family, brownroot family or pharyngeal family. European poisonous plant that takes its name from the shape of the flowers, which resemble a foxglove. Latin name: Digitalis.
Biennial plant, only in the 2nd year grows a flower stalk up to 2 m high, flowering June/July.
Pharmacologically, the leaves (Digitalis purpureae folium) are used. These contain cardiac steroids: cardenolides (cardenolide glycosides), purpureaglycoside A, B and E with 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.mon ograph, and no Commission E monograph.
Due to the content of highly cardioactive cardenolides, a classification of Digitalis purpurea leaves as a herbal traditional medicinal product in the sense of § 39a AMG is prohibited.
Digitalis leaves are used industrially for the isolation of cardenolide gycosides(digoxin, digitoxin, lanatoside C, a- and b-acetyldigoxin).