General description

• Ouabain octahydrate is a water-soluble, light-sensitive powder that is stable at ambient temperatures
• It is a glycoside comprised of rhamnose and ouabagenin, and is derived from the ripe seeds of Strophanthus gratus and the bark of Acokanthera ouabaio

Applications

• Ouabain octahydrate works by binding the Na+/K+ ATPase pump, thus disrupting its function, and leading to an increase in intracellular Na+.
• The inhibitory action of ouabain octahydrate on the Na+/K+ pump in cardiac cells makes it a pharmaceutical cardioactive agent
• Ouabain octahydrate has also been found to induce cytotoxic effects through a steroidal signal transduction pathway, in laboratory preparations