ABSTRACT
Atropa belladonna (L.), commonly known as deadly nightshade, is a perennial herb of the family Solanaceae and is widely known as a poisonous plant. The toxic characteristics of the plant are owing to tropane alkaloids atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine which are present in high amounts in mature fruits and leaves. Atropine is the principal alkaloid that forms about 98% of the total alkaloid content in the berries. Ingestion of A. belladonna berries or plants is known to cause poisoning, particularly in children. Toxicity might result in serious health issues like ataxia, sedation, and short-term memory loss, while in severe cases, depression and collapse of the circulatory system may cause coma or even death. This is attributed to the inhibitory action of plants’ alkaloids on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the central nervous system, causing anticholinergic toxic syndrome. However, at low dosages, these bioactive alkaloids are used as effective acetylcholine antagonists. Consequently, several therapeutic systems have employed A. belladonna extracts in the treatment of ailments like stomach ulcers, diverticulitis, loss of neural control, and Parkinson’s disease. This chapter highlights important information on A. belladonna including its botanical features, methods of cultivation, phytochemical constituents, toxicological studies, potential medicinal uses, and prospects of its judicious utilization.
