Introduction

They may look harmless enough, but plants can

harbor some of the most deadly poisons known.
From the death of Socrates by poison hemlock to
the accidental ingestion of deadly nightshade by
children, poisonous plants have been responsible
for human deaths throughout the history. Today,
I'll present you a plant that is known as one of the
deadliest plant on Earth.
Deadly Nightshade

Presented by: Riana Cabral

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