Atropa belladonna
Atropa belladonna
Atropa belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade or belladonna, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins include atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which cause a bizarre delirium and hallucinations, and are also used as pharmaceutical anticholinergics.
Pronunciation
Atropa belladonna: /əˈtroʊpə bɛləˈdɒnə/
Etymology
The genus name Atropa comes from Atropos, one of the three Fates in Greek mythology, and the one who chose the mechanism of death. Belladonna is derived from Italian and means "beautiful woman" because the herb was used in eye-drops by women to dilate the pupils of the eyes to make them appear seductive.
Related Terms
- Atropine: An alkaloid extracted from Atropa belladonna, used to dilate the pupils of the eyes and as an antispasmodic.
- Scopolamine: Also known as hyoscine, is a medication used to treat motion sickness and postoperative nausea and vomiting. It is also sometimes used before surgery to decrease saliva.
- Hyoscyamine: An alkaloid used as a medication and produced by a variety of plants from the family Solanaceae, including Atropa belladonna.
- Solanaceae: The nightshade family, which includes a number of important agricultural crops as well as many toxic plants.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Atropa belladonna
- Wikipedia's article - Atropa belladonna
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