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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Deadly Nightshade
| image = Koeh-018.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Solanales]]
| familia = [[Solanaceae]]
| genus = '''''Atropa'''''
| species = '''''A. belladonna'''''
| binomial = ''Atropa belladonna''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''Deadly nightshade''' or '''belladonna''' (''[[Atropa]] belladonna'') is a well-known [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[shrub]], with leaves and berries that are highly [[toxic]] and [[hallucinogen]]ic. It is in the nightshade family (''[[Solanaceae]]''), which it shares with [[potato]]es, [[tomato]]es, [[eggplant]]s, [[jimsonweed]], [[tobacco]], and [[chili pepper]]s. In addition, ''[[Solanum nigrum]]'' is also called Deadly nightshade.
The Belladonna is native to [[Europe]], [[North Africa]], and [[Western Asia]], and has become naturalized in parts of [[North America]]. It is not nearly as common in the wild as many field guides would suggest. This is because it is readily attacked by mint [[flea beetle]]s ''Longitarsus waterhousei'' and has a low tolerance for direct sunlight. In areas where it has become [[naturalized]] it can often be found in shady, moist areas with a [[limestone]]-rich [[soil]].
==Description==
[[Image:Atropa bella-donna1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Atropa belladonna'']]
The Belladonna has dull green [[leaf|leaves]] and bell-shaped [[flower]]s that are an unremarkable shade of purple, which yield black, shiny [[berry|berries]] measuring approximately 1 [[centimetre|cm]] in diameter. The berries are sweet, but most of their alkaloids are in the seed. It is an [[herbaceous]] shrub, and can grow to be approximately one [[metre]] tall. The leaves have an oily, "[[Poison-ivy (plant)|poison ivy]]"-like feel and can cause vesicular [[pustular eruption]]s if handled carelessly. Many animals, such as [[rabbit]]s, birds and [[deer]], seem to eat the plant without suffering harmful effects, though dogs and cats are affected. Many reports suggest that people have been poisoned by eating animals which have previously eaten Belladonna, though this has not been verified.
[[Germination]] is often difficult due to the presence of germination inhibitors in the seeds. Belladonna is not common as a garden plant, and is considered a [[weed]] in some areas. It is not a very hardy perennial and is sensitive to being transplanted. [[Germination]] requires several weeks in warm, moist, absolutely [[sterilization (microbiology)|sterile]] [[soil]], usually far from normal garden conditions.
== Toxicity ==
[[Image:Atropa bella-donna0.jpg|thumb|Berries of the ''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.
All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids. The berries pose the greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet taste. Symptoms of belladonna [[poisoning]] are the same as those for [[atropine]] (the best-known of the tropane alkaloids), and include dilated pupils, [[tachycardia]], [[hallucination]]s, blurred [[Visual perception|vision]], loss of [[Sense of balance|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 [[mental confusion|confusion]]. The skin can completely dry out and slough off. Fatal cases have a rapid [[pulse]] that turns feeble. The [[antidote]] is [[physostigmine]] or [[pilocarpine]], the same as for atropine.
The reason for most of these symptoms is atropine's effect on the [[parasympathetic nervous system]]. Atropine competitively inhibits the action of [[acetylcholine]] (ACh) at the acetylcholine receptor in the nerve synapse, thereby preventing the parasympathetic nervous system from sending out electrical nerve impulses. Since the parasympathetic nervous system regulates non-volitional/subconscious activities (such as sweating, breathing, and heart rate) when it is prevented from sending out signals, the heartbeat and breathing become extremely irregular.
The Belladonna is toxic to many domestic animals and livestock; Belladonna poisoning can lead to [[colic]], [[depression (mood)|depression]], weakness, and lack of coordination in [[horse]]s, with fatalities reported even for small amounts from 1 to 10 pounds (0.5 to 5 kg).
== Uses ==
===Cosmetics===
The name ''belladonna'' originates from the historic use by women (''Bella Donna'' is [[Italian language|Italian]] for ''beautiful lady'') to [[mydriasis|dilate]] their [[pupil]]s; an extract of belladonna was used as [[eye drop]]s as part of their makeup preparations. The Belladonna toxin's [[atropine]] content had the effect of dilating the pupil, thus making their eyes supposedly more attractive. It is now known that atropine has [[anticholinergic]] activity - by blocking the ability of the [[iris]] to constrict, [[mydriasis]] results. Dilated pupils are considered more attractive because pupils normally dilate when a person is [[aroused]], thus making [[eye contact]] much more intense than it already is. It had the [[Adverse effect (medicine)|adverse effect]] of making their [[Visual perception|vision]] a little blurry and making their heart rates increase. Prolonged usage was reputed to cause blindness.
===Modern medicine===
The plant is an important source of [[atropine]], which is an effective antidote to the effects of [[poisoning]] by [[cholinesterase inhibitor]]s such as [[Parathion]] and [[Malathion]]. Atropine will also reverse the effects of poisoning by [[nerve agents]] designed for [[chemical warfare]]. In Europe, the plant is specifically cultivated for this purpose.
[[Optometrist]]s and [[ophthalmologist]]s use atropine for pupil dilation in eye examinations, though the dose used is small. Atropine degrades slowly, typically wearing off in 2 to 3 days, so [[tropicamide]] and [[phenylephrine]] is generally preferred as a mydriatic. Atropine is contraindicated in patients predisposed to narrow angle [[glaucoma]].
Belladonna (as Atropa Belladonna Extract) can also be found in some over-the-counter cold and flu medicines (in small amounts) due to its [[pseudoephedrine]]-like qualities of clearing up nasal and other passages where mucus forms.
Being parasympathomimetic, Belladonna (by prescription as a syrup) is also used to treat colicky babies, as the gut naturally produces atropine, and it is thought that colic develops due to inadequate atropine production. The GI tract is one of the last systems to form before birth, so it is thought that the inadequate atropine production is a result of the GI tract not being finished developing at birth, thus resulting in colic. Belladonna supplements the gut until there is adequate atropine production.
===Alternative Medicine===
[[Homeopathic medicine|Homeopathy]] uses Belladonna to treat a variety of afflictions, including sore throat, and [[conjunctivitis]].[http://www.indiangyan.com/books/homeopathybooks/homeopathic_matria/belladona.shtml]
===Recreational drug===
Occasionally, the plant 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'. 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.
It has been suggested by Alexander Kuklin's book ''[[How Do Witches Fly?]]'' that the [[aconitine]] in [[Aconitum|aconite]] (another toxic hallucinogen) can counter/reduce the toxic effects of atropine in belladonna, while combining their psychedelic effects, and that this combination of bel
ladonna and aconite was used by witches in the middle ages.
===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 plates and look very appetizing.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
Belladonna is sometimes claimed as a cure for [[lycanthrope|lycanthropy]].
== Trivia ==
*[[Alcoholics Anonymous]] co-founder Bill Wilson reports having undergone the "belladonna cure" while hospitalized for what would become his final encounter with alcohol in 1935.[http://www.12step.org/steps/bigbook.php#Chapter1]
==See also==
*[[Toxin]]
*[[Poison ivy]]
==External links==
{{commons|Atropa belladonna|Deadly nightshade}}
*[http://www.shadowplayzine.com/Articles/belladonna.htm Belladonna] in flying ointments
*[http://www.erowid.org/plants/belladonna/belladonna.shtml Erowid - Belladonna Information] (on recreational uses)
*{{cite web | title=Compounds in deadly nightshade | work=USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. | url=http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=143 | accessdate=July 28 | accessyear=2005}}
[[Category:Solanaceae]]
[[Category:Deliriants]]
[[Category:Entheogens]]
[[Category:Herbal and fungal hallucinogens]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = Deadly Nightshade
| image = Koeh-018.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Solanales]]
| familia = [[Solanaceae]]
| genus = '''''Atropa'''''
| species = '''''A. belladonna'''''
| binomial = ''Atropa belladonna''
| binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
}}
'''Deadly nightshade''' or '''belladonna''' (''[[Atropa]] belladonna'') is a well-known [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[shrub]], with leaves and berries that are highly [[toxic]] and [[hallucinogen]]ic. It is in the nightshade family (''[[Solanaceae]]''), which it shares with [[potato]]es, [[tomato]]es, [[eggplant]]s, [[jimsonweed]], [[tobacco]], and [[chili pepper]]s. In addition, ''[[Solanum nigrum]]'' is also called Deadly nightshade.
The Belladonna is native to [[Europe]], [[North Africa]], and [[Western Asia]], and has become naturalized in parts of [[North America]]. It is not nearly as common in the wild as many field guides would suggest. This is because it is readily attacked by mint [[flea beetle]]s ''Longitarsus waterhousei'' and has a low tolerance for direct sunlight. In areas where it has become [[naturalized]] it can often be found in shady, moist areas with a [[limestone]]-rich [[soil]].
==Description==
[[Image:Atropa bella-donna1.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Atropa belladonna'']]
The Belladonna has dull green [[leaf|leaves]] and bell-shaped [[flower]]s that are an unremarkable shade of purple, which yield black, shiny [[berry|berries]] measuring approximately 1 [[centimetre|cm]] in diameter. The berries are sweet, but most of their alkaloids are in the seed. It is an [[herbaceous]] shrub, and can grow to be approximately one [[metre]] tall. The leaves have an oily, "[[Poison-ivy (plant)|poison ivy]]"-like feel and can cause vesicular [[pustular eruption]]s if handled carelessly. Many animals, such as [[rabbit]]s, birds and [[deer]], seem to eat the plant without suffering harmful effects, though dogs and cats are affected. Many reports suggest that people have been poisoned by eating animals which have previously eaten Belladonna, though this has not been verified.
[[Germination]] is often difficult due to the presence of germination inhibitors in the seeds. Belladonna is not common as a garden plant, and is considered a [[weed]] in some areas. It is not a very hardy perennial and is sensitive to being transplanted. [[Germination]] requires several weeks in warm, moist, absolutely [[sterilization (microbiology)|sterile]] [[soil]], usually far from normal garden conditions.
== Toxicity ==
[[Image:Atropa bella-donna0.jpg|thumb|Berries of the ''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.
All parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids. The berries pose the greatest danger to children because they look attractive and have a somewhat sweet taste. Symptoms of belladonna [[poisoning]] are the same as those for [[atropine]] (the best-known of the tropane alkaloids), and include dilated pupils, [[tachycardia]], [[hallucination]]s, blurred [[Visual perception|vision]], loss of [[Sense of balance|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 [[mental confusion|confusion]]. The skin can completely dry out and slough off. Fatal cases have a rapid [[pulse]] that turns feeble. The [[antidote]] is [[physostigmine]] or [[pilocarpine]], the same as for atropine.
The reason for most of these symptoms is atropine's effect on the [[parasympathetic nervous system]]. Atropine competitively inhibits the action of [[acetylcholine]] (ACh) at the acetylcholine receptor in the nerve synapse, thereby preventing the parasympathetic nervous system from sending out electrical nerve impulses. Since the parasympathetic nervous system regulates non-volitional/subconscious activities (such as sweating, breathing, and heart rate) when it is prevented from sending out signals, the heartbeat and breathing become extremely irregular.
The Belladonna is toxic to many domestic animals and livestock; Belladonna poisoning can lead to [[colic]], [[depression (mood)|depression]], weakness, and lack of coordination in [[horse]]s, with fatalities reported even for small amounts from 1 to 10 pounds (0.5 to 5 kg).
== Uses ==
===Cosmetics===
The name ''belladonna'' originates from the historic use by women (''Bella Donna'' is [[Italian language|Italian]] for ''beautiful lady'') to [[mydriasis|dilate]] their [[pupil]]s; an extract of belladonna was used as [[eye drop]]s as part of their makeup preparations. The Belladonna toxin's [[atropine]] content had the effect of dilating the pupil, thus making their eyes supposedly more attractive. It is now known that atropine has [[anticholinergic]] activity - by blocking the ability of the [[iris]] to constrict, [[mydriasis]] results. Dilated pupils are considered more attractive because pupils normally dilate when a person is [[aroused]], thus making [[eye contact]] much more intense than it already is. It had the [[Adverse effect (medicine)|adverse effect]] of making their [[Visual perception|vision]] a little blurry and making their heart rates increase. Prolonged usage was reputed to cause blindness.
===Modern medicine===
The plant is an important source of [[atropine]], which is an effective antidote to the effects of [[poisoning]] by [[cholinesterase inhibitor]]s such as [[Parathion]] and [[Malathion]]. Atropine will also reverse the effects of poisoning by [[nerve agents]] designed for [[chemical warfare]]. In Europe, the plant is specifically cultivated for this purpose.
[[Optometrist]]s and [[ophthalmologist]]s use atropine for pupil dilation in eye examinations, though the dose used is small. Atropine degrades slowly, typically wearing off in 2 to 3 days, so [[tropicamide]] and [[phenylephrine]] is generally preferred as a mydriatic. Atropine is contraindicated in patients predisposed to narrow angle [[glaucoma]].
Belladonna (as Atropa Belladonna Extract) can also be found in some over-the-counter cold and flu medicines (in small amounts) due to its [[pseudoephedrine]]-like qualities of clearing up nasal and other passages where mucus forms.
Being parasympathomimetic, Belladonna (by prescription as a syrup) is also used to treat colicky babies, as the gut naturally produces atropine, and it is thought that colic develops due to inadequate atropine production. The GI tract is one of the last systems to form before birth, so it is thought that the inadequate atropine production is a result of the GI tract not being finished developing at birth, thus resulting in colic. Belladonna supplements the gut until there is adequate atropine production.
===Alternative Medicine===
[[Homeopathic medicine|Homeopathy]] uses Belladonna to treat a variety of afflictions, including sore throat, and [[conjunctivitis]].[http://www.indiangyan.com/books/homeopathybooks/homeopathic_matria/belladona.shtml]
===Recreational drug===
Occasionally, the plant 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'. 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.
It has been suggested by Alexander Kuklin's book ''[[How Do Witches Fly?]]'' that the [[aconitine]] in [[Aconitum|aconite]] (another toxic hallucinogen) can counter/reduce the toxic effects of atropine in belladonna, while combining their psychedelic effects, and that this combination of bel
ladonna and aconite was used by witches in the middle ages.
===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 plates and look very appetizing.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
Belladonna is sometimes claimed as a cure for [[lycanthrope|lycanthropy]].
== Trivia ==
*[[Alcoholics Anonymous]] co-founder Bill Wilson reports having undergone the "belladonna cure" while hospitalized for what would become his final encounter with alcohol in 1935.[http://www.12step.org/steps/bigbook.php#Chapter1]
==See also==
*[[Toxin]]
*[[Poison ivy]]
==External links==
{{commons|Atropa belladonna|Deadly nightshade}}
*[http://www.shadowplayzine.com/Articles/belladonna.htm Belladonna] in flying ointments
*[http://www.erowid.org/plants/belladonna/belladonna.shtml Erowid - Belladonna Information] (on recreational uses)
*{{cite web | title=Compounds in deadly nightshade | work=USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases. [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. | url=http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub/xsql/duke/plantdisp.xsql?taxon=143 | accessdate=July 28 | accessyear=2005}}
[[Category:Solanaceae]]
[[Category:Deliriants]]
[[Category:Entheogens]]
[[Category:Herbal and fungal hallucinogens]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]