10-Courtesy Atropa belladonna, commonly known as belladonna or deadly nightshade, is a toxic perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, which also includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant (aubergine). It is native to Europe and Western Asia, including Turkey. Solanaceae- sow •luh • nay • see •ai Aubergine - ow • br • zheen Deadly nightshade has dull green leaves and shiny black berries about the size of cherries. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic when ingested. Did you know? Although the berries might be the most tempting part of Deadly nightshade, all parts of this plant are poisonous if ingested. It causes a range of symptoms including blurred vision, a rash, headaches, slurred speech, hallucinations, convulsions and eventually death. All parts of the plant contain alkaloids (atropine, hyocynamine and scopolamine), but the highest content is in the ripe fruit and the green leaves. These chemicals act by competitively blocking the binding of acetylcholine to the central nervous system and parasympathetic postganglionic muscarinic receptors Atropa belladonna has a long history of use as a medicine, cosmetic, and poison. Known originally under various folk names (such as "deadly ATROPA BELLADONNA (DEADLY NIGHTSHADE)
nightshade" in English), the plant was named Atropa
HISTORY belladonna by Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) when he devised his classification system. Linnaeus chose the genus name Atropa because of the poisonous properties of these plants. Atropos ("unturning one"), one of the Three Fates in Greek mythology, Linnaeus chose the species name belladonna ("beautiful woman" in Italian) in reference to the cosmetic use of the plant during the Renaissance, when women used the juice of the berries in eyedrops intended to dilate the pupils and make the eyes appear more seductive. Atropa belladonna is also toxic to many domestic animals, causing narcosis and paralysis. However, cattle and rabbits eat the plant seemingly without suffering harmful effects. In humans, its anticholinergic properties will cause the disruption of cognitive capacities, such as memory and learning. Deadly nightshade berries pose the greatest danger to children, as they are attractive and are deceptively sweet at first bite. Yet just two berries can kill a child who eats them, and it takes only 10 or 20 to kill an adult. Likewise, consuming even a single leaf can prove fatal to humans. The antidote for belladonna poisoning is Physostigmine. Physostigmine salicylate has FDA approval for use in treating glaucoma and the treatment of anticholinergic toxicity. It is useful to treat the effects of anticholinergic toxicity on the central nervous system due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Anticholinergics Toxicity - anhidrosis,
anhidrotic hyperthermia, vasodilation-induced flushing, mydriasis, urinary retention, and neurological symptoms, including delirium, agitation, and hallucinations. MEDICAL USES ATROPA BELLADONNA (DEADLY NIGHTSHADE)
Though widely regarded as unsafe, belladonna is
taken by mouth as a sedative, to stop bronchial spasms in asthma and whooping cough, and as a cold and hay fever remedy. It is also used for Parkinson's disease, colic, inflammatory bowel disease, motion sickness, and as a painkiller. Deadly Nightshade