Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. In the Brazilian population, it is estimated that approximately 41.6% of women and 63.5% of men are at medium to high risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in the next 10 years. Cardiac arrhythmias are common manifestations of cardiovascular diseases and configure an important cause of morbidity and mortality among cardiac diseases. After Vaughan-Williams’ classification of antiarrhythmic drugs based on their pharmacological actions, several new therapies and drugs were proposed, aiming to achieve a high efficacy with the least adverse effects. However, treatments with antiarrhythmic drugs and other agents used to treat cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure are often prone to pro-arrhythmic adverse responses.^, In addition, cardiac complications, such as arrhythmias, are also observed in treating other pathologies, including cancer, and during the use of antidepressants.^,

Plant-based medicines have long been used in traditional/alternative medicine for the most diverse purposes. Its uses correlate with several factors, including family tradition, age, sex, education, socioeconomic status, and failure of conventional therapies. Among plant-based drugs, different types of terpenes have been explored as fragrances/repellents but also according to their medical potential in treating parasitic diseases, bacterial infection, wound healing, and as anti-inflammatory antioxidant agents. Moreover, the antiarrhythmic properties of some terpenes have been addressed using in vitro and experimental model approaches,^, while other terpenes might actually have pro-arrhythmogenic activity.

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It is unquestionable that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is and will continue to be one of the main health problems of modern society. A significant portion of cardiovascular disease-related deaths is a direct or indirect consequence of cardiac arrhythmias.Cardiac arrhythmias are abnormal conditions that refer to any alteration in the normal sequence of cardiac electrical impulses, which can be classified according to frequency, mechanism, duration, and place of origin, resulting in inefficient pumping. More specifically, cardiac arrhythmias indicate alterations in the rate or regularity of the heart rhythm, as well as changes in the conduction sequence of physiological electrical impulses, from their origin in the sinoatrial node to their end, in the His-Purkinje system, and the ventricles.The structural mechanisms that result in cardiac arrhythmias, as well as limitations regarding the safety and efficacy of “classic” antiarrhythmic drugs, make this disease difficult to treat.

The use of medicinal plants for the treatment, cure and prevention of diseases is one of the oldest forms of human medicinal practice. Natural medicinal plant-based products have shown to be an abundant source of biologically active compounds, many of which have been the basis for the development of new chemical products by the pharmaceutical industry.Essential oils, extracted from aromatic plants, are natural products with a variety of biological actions, including cardiovascular properties.Monoterpenes are the most representative molecules, which constitute 90% of essential oils, and also produce relevant effects on measurable cardiovascular parameters, including vasorelaxation and hypotension promotion in anesthetized and non-anesthetized rats.^, Additionally, monoterpenes may attenuate the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats, by decreasing cardiac hypertrophy. Thus, it is evident that monoterpenes are molecules that could be further developed for the prevention and / or treatment of cardiovascular diseases. A study developed by our research group showed that the monoterpene carvacrol has negative chronotropic and inotropic effects on rats, whereas pulegone and geraniol have a negative inotropic effect on mammals.^,

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