Editing Digitalis (section)

====Variations====
[[File:Foxglove - Digitalis purpurea.jpg|thumb|Digitalis purpurea -- light purple]]
A group of pharmacologically active compounds are extracted mostly from the leaves of the second year's growth, and in pure form are referred to by common chemical names, such as [[digitoxin]] or [[digoxin]], or by brand names such as Crystodigin and Lanoxin, respectively. The two drugs differ in that digoxin has an additional [[hydroxyl]] group at the C-3 position on the B-ring (adjacent to the pentane). This results in digoxin having a half-life of about one day (and increasing with impaired kidney function), whereas digitoxin's is about 7 days and not affected by kidney function. Both molecules include a [[lactone]] and a triple-repeating sugar called a [[glycoside]].