SOLANACEAE Family Overview

BELLADONNA (Atropa belladonna)

• Botanical Origin: Atropa belladonna
• Common Names: Belladonna leaf, belladonna herb, deadly nightshade leaf
• Part Used: Dried leaves and flowering or fruiting tops
• Habit: Perennial herb
• Habitat: Indigenous to central and southern Europe; cultivated in England, Germany, India, and the United States

Constituents

• Alkaloids:
    - Prominent base: l-hyoscyamine
    - Other alkaloids:
      - Atropine
      - Apotropine
      - Belladonnine
      - Homatropine
    - Volatile bases
    - N-oxide
    - N-methylpyrroline

Medicinal Uses

• Adjunctive Therapy: Used in the treatment of peptic ulcers
• Functional Digestive Disorders: Including spastic, mucous, and ulcerative colitis
• Anticholinergic Properties:
    - Control excess motor activity of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT)
    - Control spasms of the urinary tract
• Other Uses:
    - As an anticholinergic
    - Narcotic sedative
    - Diuretic
    - Mydriatic
    - Anodyne

HYOCYAMUS (Hyoscyamus niger)

• Botanical Origin: Hyoscyamus niger
• Common Names: Henbane, hyoscyamus
• Part Used: Dried leaves with or without stem and flowering or fruiting tops
• Habit: Annual/biennial herb
• Habitat: Indigenous to Europe, West Asia, Africa; cultivated in England, Germany, and Belgium

Constituents

• Alkaloids:
    - Hyoscyamine (main)
    - Small quantities of Atropine and Hyoscine (scopolamine)
• Other Constituents:
    - Hyoscytricin
    - Mucilage
    - Albumin
    - Calcium oxalate

Medicinal Uses

• Antispasmodic
• Narcotic
• Hypnotic
• Mild Diuretic

STRAMONIUM (Datura stramonium)

• Botanical Origin: Datura stramonium
• Common Names: Devil’s apple, Jimson weed
• Part Used: Dried leaves with or without stem and flowering or fruiting tops
• Habit: Annual/biennial herb
• Habitat: Indigenous to Europe, West Asia, Africa; cultivated in England, Germany, and Belgium

Constituents

• Alkaloids:
    - Hyoscyamine
    - Hyoscine (scopolamine)
    - Other constituents include:
      - Protein
      - Atropine
      - Albumin
      - 6-hydroxyhyoscyamine
      - Skimmianine
      - Acetyl derivatives of caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acid

Medicinal Uses

• Antispasmodic
• Narcotic
• Anodyne
• Specific Treatments:
    - Relieve spasms of bronchioles in asthma
    - Treatment for parkinsonism, boils, soreness

CAPSICUM (Capsicum annum, Capsicum minimum)

• Botanical Origin: Capsicum annum, Capsicum minimum
• Common Names: Chillies, red pepper, Mirch
• Part Used: Dried ripe fruit
• Habit: Perennial shrub
• Habitat: Native to America; cultivated in tropical regions of India, Japan, Europe, Sri Lanka

Constituents

• Components Include:
    - Fixed oils
    - Oleoresin
    - Carotenoids
    - Thiamine
    - Ascorbic acid
• Pungent Principle:
    - Capsaicin (found in resin)
• Carbohydrates Included:
    - Fructose
    - Galactose
    - Sucrose

Medicinal Uses

• External Uses:
    - As external stimulant
    - Counter-irritant
    - Rubefacient
• Internal Uses:
    - Carminative
    - Stomachic
    - Used in cases of dyspepsia
    - Addresses flatulence