Antiarrhythmic activity of ajmaline obtained from Rauwolfia serpentina biomass grown in tissue culture

The conventional experimental techniques showed that ajmaline derived from Rouwolfia serpentina Benth. biomass grown in tissue culture was effective in arresting canine ventricular arrhythmias induced by coronary occlusion, strophanthin and epinephrine, displaying antiarrhythmic effects in aconitine-induced intoxication of rats and substantially elevating the threshold of ventricular fibrillations in cats. The antiarrhythmic activity of ajmaline produced by the biotechnological technique was identical to that of ajmaline derived from the natural root of Rauwolfia serpentina Benth, which allows one to recommend that the agent in question should be clinically tested as an antiarrhythmic.