crataegus oxyacantha

Crataegus oxyacantha is a medicinal plant, commonly known as hawthorn, used primarily as a cardiovascular tonic and as an herbal remedy for heart failure, hypertension, arrhythmias, and as a general antioxidative and anti-inflammatory agent[1][2][3]. Its cardioprotective activity appears to be due to a combination of mechanisms, including antioxidant effects, direct cardiotonic effects, mild vasodilation, antiarrhythmic, and anticholinesterase activity. Various compounds isolated from C. oxyacantha, such as flavonoids, oligomeric procyanidins, and triterpenic acids, have demonstrated inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase—enzymes involved in neurotransmission and linked to Alzheimer's disease[1]. It is also used to induce blood lipid reduction, has mild diuretic and nervine-sedative effects, and is generally reported as safe, with adverse effects rare and usually minor[2][3].

Other names

crataegushawthorncrataegus laevigata