BELLADONNA DRY EXTRACT

Atropa bella-donna, commonly known asdeadly nightshadeorbelladonna, is a toxicperennialherbaceous plantin the nightshade familySolanaceae,which also includestomatoes,potatoesandeggplant.​‍​​​​​‍​‍‍‍‍​‍‍ It is native toEuropeandWestern Asia, includingTurkey, its distribution extending fromEnglandin the west to westernUkraineand theIranianprovince ofGilanin the east. It is also naturalised or introduced in some parts of Canada,North Africaand the United States. The foliage andberriesare extremelytoxicwhen ingested, containingtropane alkaloids.It can also be harmful to handle and/or touch these plants. These toxins includeatropine,scopolamine, andhyoscyamine, which causedeliriumandhallucinations,and are also used as pharmaceuticalanticholinergics.Tropane alkaloids are of common occurrence not only in theOld WorldtribesHyoscyameae(to which the genus Atropa belongs) andMandragoreae, but also in theNew WorldtribeDatureae—all of which belong to the subfamilySolanoideaeof the plant family Solanaceae. Consumption ofAtropa bella-donnahas unpredictable effects.The antidote for belladonna poisoning isphysostigmineorpilocarpine, the same as foratropine. The highly toxic ripe fruit can be distinguished from that of black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) by its larger berry size and larger stellate calyx (with long, broad and somewhat accrescent lobes protruding beyond the fruit) and the fact thatA. bella-donnabears its berries singly, whilstS. nigrumbears spherical berries resembling tiny tomatoes in umbellate clusters.