Adonis Vernalis

ADONIS VERNALIS, spring pheasant's eye (Pharmacopoeia VII), a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Ranunculaceae, distributed in central Europe, Poland, southern Ukraine, Crimea, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, and Uzbekistan. The rhizome is branched, fibrous, hard, dark brown in color, growing almost vertically; from the rhizome arise adventitious roots up to 30 cm in length. By autumn the rhizome develops lateral buds, from which in spring develop stems reaching 30-35 cm in height. At the base of the stems are spirally arranged, membranous, root leaves, from which the upper gradually transition into stem leaves, bipinnatisect, with long narrow-linear segments. The plant's stems terminate in single, slightly inclined flowers. The flowers have a five-leafed calyx and a many-petaled corolla; the sepals have a toothed edge, are hairy, of brownish-green color, and pressed against the corolla; the petals are spreading, numbering from 12 to 20, arranged spirally in several turns, oblong-ovate in shape, slightly notched at the top, bright yellow in color, glossy. It blooms in April and May. For medicinal purposes, the herb of spring pheasant's eye is used, which is collected at the beginning of flowering and dried. Spring pheasant's eye, collected at different times or in different places, differs significantly in content of the active principle. The active principle of spring pheasant's eye is the cardiac poison adonidine. A. contains several glycosides, of which picroadonidine has the greatest effect. In addition, from A. have been isolated: the glycoside Adonin, C₃₂H₅₆O₁₄, and Adonit, C₆H₇(OH)₆, belonging to the pentatomic alcohols. Both experimental and clinical research have established complete analogy in the action of A. and digitalis. Under the influence of A. the cardiac rhythm slows down, the heart contracts more strongly and slowly, the cardiac impulse significantly strengthens, blood pressure returns to normal, the amount of urine sharply increases, cyanosis and shortness of breath decrease, respiratory movements become rarer and deeper, and simultaneously the subjective condition of patients improves. A., in contrast to digitalis, does not possess cumulative properties, but more often causes disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, manifested in the form of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The action of adonidine on the animal organism is identical with digitalin, differing from the latter only in comparatively greater strength. The minimal dose causing cardiac arrest in rana esculenta and rana temporaria equals 0.15 mg of adonidine. A. is applied mainly in chronic weakness of the heart with circulatory disorders causing stagnation phenomena, in disorders of compensation of cardiac activity on the basis of chronic kidney disease, and in decline of cardiac activity during various acute diseases when the pulse becomes frequent, weak, and irregular. In addition, A., as clinical observations have shown, possesses the property of significantly enhancing the weakening effect of bromides on epileptic seizures; this depends on the regulating influence of A. on cerebral circulation. In view of the ability of adonidine to cause strong and prolonged anesthesia when applied locally, it has found application in the form of a 1% solution in eye practice (in glaucoma, iritis, and keratitis). A. is contraindicated in increased cardiac activity, in excessively high blood pressure, in cardiac neuroses, and during pregnancy, since in some cases A. may cause an abortive effect. In poisoning with A. or its preparations, nausea, dizziness, noise in the ears, palpitations, slowing of the pulse, dilation of the pupils, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, convulsions, drowsiness, and collapse are observed. Treatment of poisoning consists in removal of the poison by means of emetics and laxatives, administration of black coffee, tannin solution, camphor, strong wine, and local irritants. A. is prescribed in the form of infusum from 4.0-6.0:200.0, a tablespoonful 3-4 times a day. Of the preparations of A., the following are used: Extractum fluidum Adonis vernalis, 5 drops or more, 2-3 times a day. Adonilen, a Russian preparation, manufactured (since 1925) from Herb. Adon. vernalis according to the method of the Scientific Chemico-Pharmaceutical Institute in Moscow. Adonilen is an aqueous extract containing all the active principles of adonis in their unchanged form. In view of the impossibility of chemical determination of the latter, for establishing the preparation at constant effect, physiological research of each series is applied, allowing to express the activity of the preparation in units of action, thanks to which adonilen can be accurately dosed. It is used in heart diseases in all cases where N. Adon. vern. is indicated. Before preparations made ex tempore from N. Adon. vern., adonilen has the advantage consisting in the possibility of accurate dosage and absence of irritating properties, since in its preparation adonilen is freed from irritating the gastrointestinal tract and ballast substances (saponins, resins, gums, and chlorophyll). Adonilen is issued in bottles for internal use and in ampoules for injections; the first contains 10% glycerin and 0.5% chloroform, the second-only 0.5% chloroform. Adonidinum, a glycoside (a commercial preparation, also contains adonidinic acid), readily soluble in water, is applied externally in 1% solution as an anesthetic in the form of eye drops-in acute glaucoma, iritis, and keratitis.