Arjuna

What is Arjuna?

What is Arjuna Used For?

Traditional Uses of Arjuna

Arjuna has a long history of use in India where the herb originates. The bark of the tree is popular as a cardiotonic used for cardiac debility and in old age to protect the heart.

Herb Details: Arjuna

Botanical Information

Pharmacology & Research

Terminalia arjuna is unusual among Ayurvedic cardiac herbs in having a genuine, if modest, human clinical literature: several small randomized controlled trials in stable angina, heart failure, endothelial dysfunction and ischemic mitral regurgitation, sitting on top of a large body of animal and in vitro cardioprotective work. The overall tier is best described as promising but preclinical-heavy — the human trials are almost all small, single-centre, conducted in India between 1994 and 2016, and of acknowledged methodological weakness, so the strongest formal appraisal to date (a 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis in stable angina) concluded the evidence was insufficient to support or refute efficacy ^{7Reference 7Kaur et al. · 2014Meta-analysisTerminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: systematic review and meta-analysisView study →}. The most rigorous single trial — a 100-patient, double-blind RCT in chronic heart failure — missed its primary endpoint (left-ventricular ejection fraction) while showing improvements only in functional and antioxidant secondary measures ^{8Reference 8Maulik et al. · 2016RCTClinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trialView study →}. Nearly all human work used the crude water/alcohol stem-bark extract or bark powder (typically 500 mg three times daily) rather than a standardised compound, so results do not transfer cleanly to tinctures, teas or proprietary blends.

0. Evidence by indication

Support is an experimental score I’m building — a composite weighted by study type (human > animal > in vitro > review) and study volume. It’s a beta: a fast way to rank strength of evidence at a glance, not a validated metric, and I’ll keep honing the formula over time. Each indication name links down to its write-up.

Indication	Support	Rests on
Antioxidant	███████░░░ 70%	Consistent animal + in vitro data plus human biomarker shifts in a CHF RCT; the mechanistic backbone of the whole herb.
Antianginal (stable angina)	███████░░░ 66%	Several small human RCTs show fewer anginal episodes and better treadmill tolerance, but a meta-analysis judged them poor-quality and inconclusive.
Cardioprotective (anti-ischemic)	██████░░░░ 62%	Strong, replicated rat models of isoproterenol injury and hypertrophy, with proteomic/transcriptomic validation; no dedicated human trial.
Endothelial function	██████░░░░ 60%	One small double-blind crossover RCT reversed impaired flow-mediated dilation in smokers; single study, crude extract.
Heart failure	██████░░░░ 56%	A small early RCT was positive in refractory HF, but the largest, most rigorous RCT was null on ejection fraction and positive only on functional/QoL measures.
Hypolipidemic	█████░░░░░ 48%	Some early trials and a case report show lipid/Lp(a) lowering, but a hyperlipidemia systematic review did not list arjuna among effective herbs; mostly preclinical.
Antihypertensive	████░░░░░░ 42%	Largely animal work (hypotensive, anti-pulmonary-hypertension); human blood-pressure evidence is incidental and inconsistent.

1. Antioxidant

Antioxidant activity is the most consistently demonstrated property of arjuna bark and the presumed engine behind its cardiovascular effects. The bark is dominated by phenolics — tannins (~16% of an aqueous extract) and a large flavonoid complement including luteolin, baicalein, quercetin and proanthocyanidins — which scavenge reactive oxygen species and preserve endogenous antioxidant enzymes ^{10Reference 10Amalraj et al. · 2017ReviewMedicinal properties of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.: a reviewView study →}. In the 100-patient chronic heart failure RCT, add-on Arjuna extract (750 mg twice daily) significantly raised or preserved red-blood-cell superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione versus placebo, translating the in vitro antioxidant signal into a measurable human biomarker effect ^{8Reference 8Maulik et al. · 2016RCTClinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trialView study →}. Rat models of isoproterenol cardiotoxicity likewise show the extract restoring myocardial antioxidant defences and limiting lipid peroxidation ^{13Reference 13Shukla et al. · 2015AnimalTerminalia arjuna augments cardioprotection via antioxidant and antiapoptotic cascade in isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity in rats — animal modelView study →}.

Gap: human data are limited to surrogate blood biomarkers in one trial; no study shows that arjuna’s antioxidant action produces a hard clinical outcome.

2. Antianginal (stable angina)

This is arjuna’s flagship human indication. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, 58 men with chronic stable angina (NYHA II–III) received bark extract 500 mg every 8 hours, isosorbide mononitrate, or placebo for one week each; arjuna reduced anginal frequency and improved treadmill exercise parameters comparably to the nitrate ^{4Reference 4Bharani et al. · 2002RCTEfficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna with isosorbide mononitrate — randomized controlled trialView study →}. Earlier open and comparative studies reported roughly 50% reductions in anginal episodes and delayed onset of ST-changes on treadmill testing after three months of bark powder ^{2,3Reference 2Dwivedi et al. · 1994Clinical trialAntianginal and cardioprotective effects of Terminalia arjuna, an indigenous drug, in coronary artery disease — clinical studyView study →Reference 3Dwivedi et al. · 1997Clinical trialBeneficial effects of Terminalia arjuna in coronary artery disease — comparative clinical studyView study →}, and a proprietary arjuna product (Hartone) gave symptomatic relief comparable to isosorbide mononitrate in a small open trial ^{9Reference 9Kumar et al. · 1999Safety and efficacy of Hartone in stable angina pectoris — an open comparative trial (Terminalia arjuna–based product)View study →}. The important counterweight: a 2014 systematic review and meta-analysis found the pooled trials to be of poor methodological design and concluded the evidence was insufficient to favour or reject arjuna in stable angina ^{7Reference 7Kaur et al. · 2014Meta-analysisTerminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: systematic review and meta-analysisView study →}.

Gap: trials are small, short, single-centre and methodologically weak; the crossover designs and brief washouts make durable, clinically meaningful benefit hard to establish.

3. Cardioprotective (anti-ischemic)

The most mechanistically developed body of evidence is preclinical cardioprotection against ischemic and hypertrophic injury. In rats given isoproterenol to model myocardial infarction, hydroalcoholic bark extract limited biochemical and apoptotic damage in a dose-dependent way ^{13Reference 13Shukla et al. · 2015AnimalTerminalia arjuna augments cardioprotection via antioxidant and antiapoptotic cascade in isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity in rats — animal modelView study →}, and proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy showed the aqueous extract normalising established molecular markers of hypertrophy ^{14,15Reference 14Kumar et al. · 2017AnimalProteomic analysis of the protective effects of aqueous bark extract of Terminalia arjuna on isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats — animal modelView study →Reference 15Kumar et al. · 2019AnimalTranscriptomic validation of the protective effects of aqueous bark extract of Terminalia arjuna against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy — animal modelView study →}. At the single-molecule level, arjunolic acid acts as a PPAR-α agonist that regresses cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting non-canonical TGF-β signaling ^{16Reference 16Bansal et al. · 2017In vitroArjunolic acid, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonist, regresses cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting non-canonical TGF-β signaling — in vitro/animal mechanistic studyView study →}. Together these define a coherent anti-ischemic, anti-hypertrophic, anti-fibrotic mechanism.

Gap: entirely animal and cell-level; no human trial has tested arjuna specifically for infarct protection or reversal of hypertrophy.

4. Endothelial function

A single double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover RCT tested whether arjuna could reverse smoking-induced endothelial dysfunction. Eighteen healthy male chronic smokers, whose flow-mediated dilation was markedly impaired versus non-smokers (4.71% vs 11.75%), received bark extract 500 mg every 8 hours or placebo; arjuna improved endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation, consistent with its antioxidant action restoring nitric-oxide-mediated vasodilation ^{5Reference 5Bharani et al. · 2004RCTTerminalia arjuna reverses impaired endothelial function in chronic smokers — randomized double-blind crossover trialView study →}. Because endothelium-independent (nitroglycerine) dilation was unaffected, the effect appears specific to the endothelial pathway.

Gap: one small, short study in young healthy smokers, using crude extract — not replicated, and not extended to patients with established vascular disease.

5. Heart failure

Arjuna’s heart-failure evidence is genuinely mixed. An early double-blind crossover trial in 12 patients with severe refractory (NYHA IV) heart failure reported symptomatic improvement and better echocardiographic indices on bark extract added to maximal conventional therapy ^{1Reference 1Bharani et al. · 1995RCTSalutary effect of Terminalia Arjuna in patients with severe refractory heart failure — randomized double-blind crossover trialView study →}. But the definitive test — a 100-patient, double-blind, placebo-controlled add-on RCT of standardised water extract (750 mg twice daily) in NYHA II CHF with ejection fraction ≤40% — was null on its primary endpoint: LVEF did not change versus placebo (24.3% vs 25.5%; p = 0.4) ^{8Reference 8Maulik et al. · 2016RCTClinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trialView study →}. Only secondary measures moved, with greater improvement in 6-minute walk distance, antioxidant enzymes and symptom-related quality-of-life domains in subsets of patients.

Gap: the best-powered trial did not improve the primary cardiac endpoint; benefits were confined to functional and biomarker secondaries, so a true effect on cardiac function is unproven.

6. Hypolipidemic

Several early Indian trials reported lipid changes alongside antianginal benefit, and a case report documented a marked fall in lipoprotein(a) after bark-stem powder in a patient with metabolic syndrome and beta-thalassemia ^{11,12Reference 11Dwivedi et al. · 2007Case reportBeta-thalassemia, hyperlipoproteinemia(a), and metabolic syndrome: its low-cost holistic therapy (Terminalia arjuna case report)View study →Reference 12Dwivedi · 2007ReviewTerminalia arjuna Wight & Arn. — a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders — reviewView study →}. Preclinical work supports a hypolipidemic and anti-atherogenic action via the bark’s flavonoids and sterols such as beta-sitosterol. However, a systematic review of herbal medicines for hyperlipidemia that screened 53 clinical trials did not list Terminalia arjuna among the plants with demonstrated cholesterol- or LDL-lowering efficacy ^{18Reference 18Hasani-Ranjbar et al. · 2010Systematic reviewThe efficacy and safety of herbal medicines used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia: a systematic reviewView study →}, underscoring how thin the controlled human lipid data are.

Gap: human lipid evidence is incidental, uncontrolled or anecdotal; no dedicated, adequately powered lipid-lowering RCT exists.

7. Antihypertensive

Although arjuna is traditionally used and tagged as antihypertensive, the modern evidence is predominantly animal. Aqueous bark extract lowered pulmonary arterial pressure and reduced right-ventricular hypertrophy and oxidative stress in a rat model of pulmonary hypertension ^{17Reference 17Meghwani et al. · 2017AnimalBeneficial effects of aqueous extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in experimental pulmonary hypertension — animal modelView study →}, and various animal studies describe hypotensive and vasodilatory effects ^{12Reference 12Dwivedi · 2007ReviewTerminalia arjuna Wight & Arn. — a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders — reviewView study →}. Human blood-pressure data are incidental to the angina and heart-failure trials rather than the object of a dedicated hypertension study.

Gap: no human RCT targets blood pressure as a primary outcome; the antihypertensive label rests on preclinical and traditional evidence.

Mechanisms

Mechanism	Drives	Key compounds
PPAR-α agonism, anti-fibrotic (↓ non-canonical TGF-β), positive inotropy, membrane antioxidant	cardioprotective, heart failure, antioxidant	arjunolic acid, arjunic acid
Cardiotonic/glycoside-like activity, coronary vasodilation	antianginal, heart failure	arjunetin, arjunin
ROS scavenging, NO preservation, anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering	antioxidant, endothelial function, hypolipidemic	luteolin, baicalein, quercetin, proanthocyanidins
Antioxidant, astringent, endothelial protection	antioxidant, endothelial function	condensed tannins, gallic acid
Cholesterol absorption interference	hypolipidemic	beta-sitosterol

Clinical trials

Human evidence comes almost entirely from investigator-led academic RCTs published in the cardiology/ethnopharmacology literature rather than from registered, regulated trials. On ClinicalTrials.gov, no completed registered trial evaluates single-herb Terminalia arjuna for a cardiac indication; the arjuna-containing entries are multi-ingredient Ayurvedic or “cardiovascular wellness” formulations, which cannot isolate the herb’s effect.

Completed	Planned	Terminated	Preclinical
~6 1,2,4,5,6,8Reference 1Bharani et al. · 1995RCTSalutary effect of Terminalia Arjuna in patients with severe refractory heart failure — randomized double-blind crossover trialView study →Reference 2Dwivedi et al. · 1994Clinical trialAntianginal and cardioprotective effects of Terminalia arjuna, an indigenous drug, in coronary artery disease — clinical studyView study →Reference 4Bharani et al. · 2002RCTEfficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna with isosorbide mononitrate — randomized controlled trialView study →Reference 5Bharani et al. · 2004RCTTerminalia arjuna reverses impaired endothelial function in chronic smokers — randomized double-blind crossover trialView study →Reference 6Dwivedi et al. · 2005RCTRole of Terminalia arjuna in ischaemic mitral regurgitation — randomized controlled trialView study →Reference 8Maulik et al. · 2016RCTClinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trialView study →	0	0	Extensive (dozens of animal/in vitro reports)

Last checked: July 2026.

Phytochemistry

The cardioactive reputation of Terminalia arjuna bark rests on a suite of oleanane-type triterpenes — chiefly arjunolic acid and arjunic acid — together with their saponin glycosides arjunetin and arjunin. Quantitatively, however, the triterpene fraction is minor: compositional analysis of the bark puts total triterpenoids at under 1%, with arjunolic acid reported around 0.5% w/w and the related arjungenin near 0.3% w/w ^{19Reference 19Kalola et al. · 2006Extraction and TLC densitometric determination of triterpenoid acids (arjungenin, arjunolic acid) from Terminalia arjuna stem bark without interference of tannins — analytical studyView study →}.

The bulk of the bark is phenolic. It is dominated by tannins (an aqueous extract has been measured at ~16%) and a very large flavonoid complement — including arjunone, baicalein, luteolin, quercetin and proanthocyanidins — estimated near 5.7 g/100 g of bark ^{10Reference 10Amalraj et al. · 2017ReviewMedicinal properties of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.: a reviewView study →}. Sterols such as beta-sitosterol and trace minerals round out the profile.

Constituent Summary

Figures are % w/w of dried stem bark unless noted; values vary widely with provenance, season and extraction method. “No Data” marks compounds documented in the bark but without a reliable published figure.

Dosage

Nearly all human trials used the crude water/alcohol stem-bark extract or bark powder rather than a standardised compound, so results don’t transfer cleanly to a tincture or tea. Here’s what the trials used:

Indication	Preparation	Dose	Est. dried-herb equivalent	Source
Stable angina / endothelial function	Bark extract	500 mg every 8 hours (1,500 mg/day)	Not established (crude extract, no marker compound reported)	RCTs 4,5,9Reference 4Bharani et al. · 2002RCTEfficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna with isosorbide mononitrate — randomized controlled trialView study →Reference 5Bharani et al. · 2004RCTTerminalia arjuna reverses impaired endothelial function in chronic smokers — randomized double-blind crossover trialView study →Reference 9Kumar et al. · 1999Safety and efficacy of Hartone in stable angina pectoris — an open comparative trial (Terminalia arjuna–based product)View study →
Chronic heart failure	Standardised water extract	750 mg twice daily (1,500 mg/day)	Not established (standardised extract, no marker compound reported)	RCT 8Reference 8Maulik et al. · 2016RCTClinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trialView study →

Both doses land in the same 1,500 mg/day range across different preparations, which is at least internally consistent — but neither trial reports a marker-compound percentage, so no dried-herb conversion is given. Treat as a record of what was studied, not a dosing guide.

Traditional Dosage

Ayurvedic and Western herbal practice both use the bark, most often as a decoction, powder, or liquid extract, typically over months rather than the 1–12 weeks used in the clinical trials above.

System	Preparation	Dose
Western herbal	1:2 liquid extract	20–40 mL/week
Ayurveda	Bark powder / decoction (Kwath)	Traditional decoction dose, not separately quantified in the sources reviewed

Safety

Arjuna bark has a long traditional record and was well tolerated in clinical trials, with the largest heart-failure RCT reporting no significant adverse events over 12 weeks and only mild, self-limiting gastritis and constipation seen in a chronic coronary-disease study ^{8Reference 8Maulik et al. · 2016RCTClinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trialView study →}. It has not, however, been formally tested for drug interactions, and its cardioactive constituents create a plausible risk of additive effects with prescription cardiac, antihypertensive and anticoagulant drugs — it should be used under medical supervision in anyone with established heart disease or on such medication. Because it can lower blood pressure and lipids, effects may compound those of conventional agents. No dedicated pharmacokinetic or drug-interaction study was identified; the interaction caution above is mechanistic and precautionary, not based on a reported interaction. A sidebar claim that “high doses may affect thyroid function” could not be traced to a primary human study in this review and should be treated as unverified pending a source.

Pregnancy & lactation

Not established. No pregnancy or lactation safety data were identified for Terminalia arjuna. Given its cardioactive, hypotensive and lipid-lowering pharmacology, it should be avoided in pregnancy and lactation absent professional guidance — this is a precaution based on the herb’s known mechanisms, not a documented harm.

References

1. Bharani, A., Ganguly, A., & Bhargava, K. D. (1995). Salutary effect of Terminalia Arjuna in patients with severe refractory heart failure — randomized double-blind crossover trial. International Journal of Cardiology, 49(3), 191–199. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7649665/
2. Dwivedi, S., & Agarwal, M. P. (1994). Antianginal and cardioprotective effects of Terminalia arjuna, an indigenous drug, in coronary artery disease — clinical study. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 42(4), 287–289. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7741874/
3. Dwivedi, S., & Jauhari, R. (1997). Beneficial effects of Terminalia arjuna in coronary artery disease — comparative clinical study. Indian Heart Journal, 49(5), 507–510. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9505018/
4. Bharani, A., Ganguli, A., Mathur, L. K., et al. (2002). Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study comparing Terminalia arjuna with isosorbide mononitrate — randomized controlled trial. Indian Heart Journal, 54(2), 170–175. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12086380/
5. Bharani, A., Ahirwar, L. K., & Jain, N. (2004). Terminalia arjuna reverses impaired endothelial function in chronic smokers — randomized double-blind crossover trial. Indian Heart Journal, 56(2), 123–128. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15377133/
6. Dwivedi, S., Aggarwal, A., & Agarwal, M. P. (2005). Role of Terminalia arjuna in ischaemic mitral regurgitation — randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Cardiology, 100(3), 507–508. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15837100/
7. Kaur, N., Shafiq, N., Negi, H., et al. (2014). Terminalia arjuna in chronic stable angina: systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiology Research and Practice, 2014, 281483. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24600529/
8. Maulik, S. K., Wilson, V., Seth, S., et al. (2016). Clinical efficacy of water extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in patients of chronic heart failure: a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Phytomedicine, 23(11), 1211–1219. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26988798/
9. Kumar, P. U., Adhikari, P., Pereira, P., et al. (1999). Safety and efficacy of Hartone in stable angina pectoris — an open comparative trial (Terminalia arjuna–based product). Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 47(7), 685–689. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10778587/
10. Amalraj, A., & Gopi, S. (2017). Medicinal properties of Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn.: a review. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 7(1), 65–78. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28053890/
11. Dwivedi, S., & Aggarwal, A. (2007). Beta-thalassemia, hyperlipoproteinemia(a), and metabolic syndrome: its low-cost holistic therapy (Terminalia arjuna case report). Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 13(3), 389–391. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17388772/
12. Dwivedi, S. (2007). Terminalia arjuna Wight & Arn. — a useful drug for cardiovascular disorders — review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 114(2), 114–129. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17875376/
13. Shukla, S. K., Sharma, S. B., & Singh, U. R. (2015). Terminalia arjuna augments cardioprotection via antioxidant and antiapoptotic cascade in isoproterenol-induced cardiotoxicity in rats — animal model. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 53(12), 810–818. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26742326/
14. Kumar, S., Jahangir Alam, M., Prabhakar, P., et al. (2017). Proteomic analysis of the protective effects of aqueous bark extract of Terminalia arjuna on isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy in rats — animal model. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 198, 98–108. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28063919/
15. Kumar, G., Saleem, N., Kumar, S., et al. (2019). Transcriptomic validation of the protective effects of aqueous bark extract of Terminalia arjuna against isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy — animal model. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10, 1443. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31920643/
16. Bansal, T., Chatterjee, E., Singh, J., et al. (2017). Arjunolic acid, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonist, regresses cardiac fibrosis by inhibiting non-canonical TGF-β signaling — in vitro/animal mechanistic study. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 292(40), 16440–16462. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28821620/
17. Meghwani, H., Prabhakar, P., Mohammed, S. A., et al. (2017). Beneficial effects of aqueous extract of stem bark of Terminalia arjuna in experimental pulmonary hypertension — animal model. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 197, 184–194. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27401289/
18. Hasani-Ranjbar, S., Nayebi, N., Moradi, L., et al. (2010). The efficacy and safety of herbal medicines used in the treatment of hyperlipidemia: a systematic review. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 16(26), 2935–2947. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20858178/
19. Kalola, J., & Rajani, M. (2006). Extraction and TLC densitometric determination of triterpenoid acids (arjungenin, arjunolic acid) from Terminalia arjuna stem bark without interference of tannins — analytical study. Chromatographia, 63, 475–481. https://doi.org/10.1365/s10337-006-0772-3