Atropa belladonna
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"Belladonna" redirects here. For other uses, see Belladonna (disambiguation).
Deadly nightshade
Illustration from Koehler's Medicinal Plants 1887
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class:
Magnoliopsida
Order:
Solanales
Family:
Solanaceae
Genus:
Atropa
Species: A. belladonna
Binomial name
Atropa belladonna
L.
Atropa belladonna , commonly known as belladonna or deadly
nightshade, is a perennial herbaceous plant with leaves and berries that are
extremely toxic and hallucinogenic.
The species is native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, and has
become naturalized in parts of North America. In areas where it has become
naturalized it can often be found in shady, moist areas with a limestone-rich
soil.
Contents
[hide]
1 Description
2 Naming and taxonomy
3 Toxicity
4 Uses
4.1 Cosmetics
4.2 Medicine
4.3 Recreational drug
4.4 Folklore
5 Belladonna in the Media
6 See also
7 External links
8 References
[edit]
Description
Atropa belladonna
The species has dull green leaves and bell-shaped flowers that are purple,
these yield black, shiny berries measuring approximately 1 cm in diameter.
The yellow form, Atropa belladonna var. lutea, has pale yellow flowers and
fruit. The berries are sweet, but the seeds contain toxic alkaloids. It is an
herbaceous plant, and can grow to be approximately five metres tall. The
leaves have an oily, "poison ivy"-like feel.
When Belladonna is in its first stages of growing the star shaped base of the
berries is barely visible.
Germination is often difficult due to the presence of germination inhibitors in
the seeds. The species is not common as a garden plant, and is considered a
weed in some areas. Atropa belladonna is a perennial branching herb
growing to 5 metre tall, with 18 cm long ovate leaves; it contains the heaviest
leaf in its angiosperm group. It is not a very hardy perennial and is sensitive to
being transplanted. Germination requires several weeks in warm, moist,
absolutely sterile soil, usually far from normal garden conditions.
[edit]
Naming and taxonomy
The common names for this species include, dwale, banewort, devil's
cherries, naughty man's cherries, divale, black cherry, devil's herb, great
morel, and dwayberry.[1] It is one of two species to be known as Deadly
nightshade, the other is Solanum nigrum. The first botanical description was
by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753.[2] It is in the nightshade family
(Solanaceae), which it shares with potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants,
jimsonweed, tobacco, goji, and chili peppers.
[edit]
Toxicity
Flowers of belladonna.
Berries of belladonna.
Leaves of belladonna.
Belladonna is one of the most toxic plants found in the Western hemisphere.
Children have been poisoned by eating as few as three berries. Ingestion of a
leaf of the Belladonna can be fatal to an adult. The root of the plant is
generally the most toxic part, though this can vary from one specimen to
another.[3] Belladonna leaves, if handled carelessly, can cause pus filled
blisters.
All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids.[4] The berries pose the greatest
danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet
taste.[1] Symptoms of belladonna poisoning are the same as those for atropine
(a tropane alkaloid), and include dilated pupils, tachycardia, hallucinations,
blurred vision, loss of balance, a feeling of flight, staggering, a sense of
suffocation, paleness followed by a red rash, flushing, husky voice, extremely
dry throat, constipation, urinary retention, and confusion.[citation needed]
The plant's deadly symptoms are caused by atropine's disruption of the
parasympathetic nervous system's ability to regulate nonvolitional/subconscious activities such as sweating, breathing, and heart rate.
Heartbeat and breathing can become extremely irregular, and fatal cases
have a rapid pulse that turns feeble.[citation needed] The antidote for belladonna
poisoning is physostigmine or pilocarpine, the same as for atropine.[5]
Atropa belladonna is toxic to many domestic animals and livestock;
Belladonna poisoning can lead to colic, depression, weakness, and lack of
coordination in horses, with fatalities reported even for small amounts from 1
to 10 pounds (0.5 to 5 kg).[citation needed] Many animals, such as rabbits, birds
and deer, seem to eat the plant without suffering harmful effects, though dogs
and cats are affected. [6][verification needed]
[edit]
Uses
[edit]
Cosmetics
The common name belladonna originates from the historic use by women
(Bella Donna is Italian for beautiful lady) to dilate their pupils in a time when it
was believed that the dreamy, intoxicated stare thus produced was the height
of fetching beauty; an extract of belladonna was used as eye drops as part of
their makeup preparations.[7] The Belladonna toxin's atropine content had the
effect of dilating the pupil, thus making their eyes supposedly more attractive.
[8]
It is now known that atropine has anticholinergic activity - by blocking the
ability of the iris to constrict, mydriasis results.[citation needed] It had the adverse
effect of making their vision a little blurry and making their heart rates
increase.[citation needed] Prolonged usage was reputed to cause blindness.[citation
needed]
[edit]
Medicine
The plant is an important source of atropine, which is an effective treatment
for the effects of poisoning by cholinesterase inhibitors such as Parathion and
Malathion.[citation needed] Atropine will also reverse the effects of poisoning by
nerve agents designed for chemical warfare.[9] In Europe, the plant is
specifically cultivated for this purpose.[citation needed] While atropine can treat the
symptoms of poisoning from these organophosphate compounds, the antidote
is the unrelated compound pralidoxime.[citation needed]
Atropine is also an important drug in ACLS protocols.
Optometrists and ophthalmologists use atropine for pupil dilation in eye
examinations, though the dose used is small.[citation needed] Atropine degrades
slowly, typically wearing off in 2 to 3 days, so tropicamide and phenylephrine
is generally preferred as a mydriatic.[citation needed] Atropine is contraindicated in
patients predisposed to narrow angle glaucoma.[citation needed]
Belladonna (as Atropa Belladonna Extract) can also be found in some overthe-counter cold and flu medicines (in small amounts) due to its
pseudoephedrine-like qualities of clearing up nasal and other passages where
mucus forms.[citation needed]
Donnatal, or the generic Belladonna, is a FDA approved prescription
pharmaceutical that contains "natural belladonna alkaloids ... combined with
Phenobarbital to provide peripheral anticholinergic/antispasmodic action and
mild sedation." It is indicated and FDA approved as "possibly effective" for the
treatment of IBS, irritable bowel syndrome, acute enterocolitis and as
adjunctive therapy in the treatment of duodenal ulcer. [10] The allopathic,
(modern) application for these ailments is similar to the traditional and
naturopathic applications, although it is traditionally indicated for a wider
range of ailments. [11] The mechanisms of the naturopathic applications, such
as belladonna's antispasmodic properties are the same as the allopathic
mechanisms. The use of Donnatal, belladonna, is based on a significant
history of safe application. [12]
[edit]
Recreational drug
Occasionally, Atropa belladonna is used for recreational purposes: it is
consumed in the form of either a tea or simply raw, which can produce vivid
hallucinations, described by many as a 'living dream'.[citation needed] Upon
consumption of this plant, the user will experience all the severe, adverse
anticholinergic effects before hallucinating and continue to do so while
hallucinating. Use for recreational purposes is considered dangerous because
of the risk of accidental overdose. [13]
Publications have suggested a combination of belladonna and aconite was
used by witches to "fly" in the Middle Ages. The aconitine in aconite (another
toxic plant) was said to counter/reduce the toxic effects of atropine in
belladonna, while combining their hallucinogenic effects.[14][15][16]
[edit]
Folklore
Stories claim that the devil has the exclusive rights to plant and harvest this
plant. Hence, anyone eating it is visited and killed by the devil. Many also
believed it was a temptation for greedy children as the berries seem to be
offered on green, pentagram plates and look very appetizing.[citation needed]
[edit]
Belladonna in the Media
Belladonna appears in popular media, sometimes by the name "Deadly
Nightshade".
The 1998 fantasy movie Practical Magic had Sandra Bullock's
character mix it in tequila to sedate the abusive boyfriend of Nicole
Kidman's character, but he dies instead. The fictional character Sally in
The Nightmare Before Christmas uses Deadly Nightshade in the movie to
get away from Doctor Finklestein. Belladonna ingestion kills the character
played by Nicki Aycox in the 2007 movie Perfect Stranger, and she is
found with her pupils dilated by the substance. In Hukkle (2002), an old
woman in a small Hungarian village produced a belladonna concoction
she sold to other women to kill their husbands.
In Louisa May Alcott's book "Little Women", Beth is told by the doctor to
take some belladonna after the Hummels' baby dies of Scarlet Fever.
Author and Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson reports
having undergone a "so-called belladonna therapy" while hospitalized for
what would become his final encounter with alcohol in 1935.[17][18]
[edit]
See also
Toxin
Poison ivy
List of plants poisonous to equines
List of poisonous plants
[hide]
v•d•e
Anesthetic: Ancient anaesthesia
Aconite • Argyreia speciosa • Castoreum • Cannabis • Coca • Deadly nightshade •
Plants/animals Henbane • Lactucarium • Mandrake • Metel nut • Opium • Poison hemlock •
Saussurea • Toloatzin • Willow
Abulcasis • Avicenna • Celsus • Dioscorides • Galen • Hippocrates • Rhazes •
People
Sabuncuoğlu • Susrutha • Theophrastus • Zhang
Aconitine • Δ9-THC • Atropine • Cocaine • Coniine • Hyoscyamine • Morphine •
Molecules
Salicylate • Scopolamine
[edit]
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Deadly nightshade
botanical.com
Erowid - Belladonna Information (on recreational uses)
Compounds in deadly nightshade. USDA, ARS, National Genetic
Resources Program. Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases.
[Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville,
Maryland.. Retrieved on July 28, 2005.
[edit]
References
This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
(December 2007)
1. ^ a b Grieve, Margaret; Leyel C.F (1971). Modern Herbal. Courier Dover
Publications, 584. ISBN 0486227995.
2. ^ Solanaceae Atropa belladonna L.. Plant Name Details. IPNI (2003-07-02).
Retrieved on 2008-03-01. “Solanaceae Atropa belladonna L. Species
Plantarum 2 1753 "Habitat in Austriae, Angliae montibus sylvosis."”
3. ^ Harrison's Principle's of Internal Medicine. (11th edition, page 842:
"Antimuscarinic Compounds: fatalities have occurred from as little as 10 mg
atropine, but doses of 500 mg have been non-fatal.Young children are
particularly susceptible to poisoning with belladonna alkaloids.")
4. ^ European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products
5. ^ Potter, Samuel O.L. (1893). A Handbook of Materia Medica Pharmacy and
Therapeutics. London: P. Blakiston's, 53.
6. ^ Poisons
7. ^ Hofmann, Albert; Evans Schultes, Richard; Plants of the Gods, Origins of
Hallucinogenic Use (Hutchinson, 1980), page 88.
8. ^ Hofmann, Albert; Evans Schultes, Richard; Plants of the Gods, Origins of
Hallucinogenic Use (Hutchinson, 1980), page 88.
9. ^ Sedgwick County Emergency Medical Services, November 22, 2001.
available online
10. ^ Donnatal Extentabs® : Prescribing Information
11. ^ botanical.com - A Modern Herbal | Nightshade, Deadly
12. ^ Donnatal Extentabs Info For Consumers
13. ^ International Academy of CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY - BELLADONNA
14. ^ Kuklin, Alexander (February 1999). How Do Witches Fly?. DNA Press.
ISBN 0966402707.
15. ^ Kowalchik, Claire; Carr A Hylton W (1987). Herb gardening. Rodale, 1 and
158. ISBN 087596964X.
16. ^ Harner, Michael J, (Editor) Hallucinogens and Shamanism (Oxford
University Press, 1973), pages 123-150.
17. ^ Wilson, Bill; Burwell, Mayo (2001 fourth edition). Alcoholics Anonymous
"Big Book. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc, 7. ISBN 1-893007-162.
18. ^ Pittman, Bill (1988). AA - The Way It Began. Seattle, Washington: Glen
Abbey Books, 164-166, 168. ISBN 0934125082.