Oleg Zabluda's blog
Friday, December 07, 2012
 
Nightshade family (Solanaceae) "Паслёновые" has lots of cool plants, rich in various Tropane alkaloids. For example:
Nightshade family (Solanaceae) "Паслёновые" has lots of cool plants, rich in various Tropane alkaloids. For example:

== genus Atropa "Красавка" contains atropine [0], hyoscyamine [1] 
- Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) "Белладонна"

== genus Hyoscyamus "Белена", contains hyoscyamine [1]
- Stinking Nightshade (Hyoscyamus niger) "Белена чёрная" 

== genus Datura "Дурман", contains scopolamine (aka hyoscine) [1]
- Jimson weed (Datura stramonium) "Дурман обыкновенный/вонючий" 

== genus Brugmansia, contains scopolamine, hyoscyamine [1], etc
- Angels trumpet, Tree Datura (Brugmansia arborea) "Бругмансия древовидная, Дурманное дерево, Древесный дурман, Ангельские трубы

== genus Bell/Chili/Cayenne pepper (Capsicum) "Стручковый перец", contains capsaicin
- Bell/Chili/Cayenne/Habanero Pepper/Chili (Capsicum annuum) "Перец овощной/сладкий/стручковый/чили/острый/горький/паприка/Хабанеро

== genus Tobacco (Nicotiana) "Табак", contains nicotine
- Common tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) "Табак обыкновенный"
- Mapacho (Nicotiana rustica) "Махорка, Табак деревенский"

== Petunia (Petunia) "Петунья". There were some reports of Petunia 
violacea being used as a hallucinogen by some native South American people under the name Shanin, but attempts to isolate an alkaloid were unsuccessful to date.
 
== genus Boxthorn, Wolfberry (Lycium) "Дереза, Волчьи ягоды", contains atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine, in small concentrations
- Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) "Дереза обыкновенная, Волчья ягода"

== genus Nightshades (Solanum) "Паслён", contains alcaloid solanidine, and derived from it glycoalcaloids [2] solanine, solamargine, solasonine, chaconine
- Domestic Tomato (S. lycopersicum [3]) "помидор обыкновенный"
- Potato (S. tuberosum) "картофель, Паслён клубненосный" [4]
- Eggplant (S. melongena) "баклажан, Паслён темноплодный"
- Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum) "Паслён чёрный"
- Woody/Bittersweet nightshade, poisonberry (Solanum dulcamara) "Паслён сладко-горький"

[0] Atropa named after the Greek Fate, Atropos, who cut the thread of life. Atropine is an antidote to nerve gases such as sarin and VX. "Tropane alcaloids" are named after atropine.

[1] hyoscyamine is the levo-isomer of atropine. it is a precursor of scopolamine (aka hyoscine). Atropine has a stimulant effect on the central nervous system and heart, whereas scopolamine has a sedative effect.

[2] Glycoalkaloids (alkaloid + sugars) are a family of poisons commonly found in the plant species Solanum dulcamara (nightshade).  A prototypical glycoalkaloid is called solanine (sugar [solanose] + alkaloid [solanidine] = solanine), which is found in potato.

[3] Lycopersicum means "wolf peach", and comes from German werewolf myths. These said that deadly nightshade was used to summon werewolves, so the tomato's similar, but much larger, fruit was called the "wolf peach" when it arrived in Europe. Tomato leaves and roots are poisonous due to solanine, etc and glycolacaloid tomatine, derived from alcaloid tomatidine.

[4] When exposed to light, potato tuber produces glycoalcaloids solanine and chaconine to prevent being eaten, and also produces chlorophyll and turns green, thus giving a visual clue that tuber is toxic. Not definitive though, as greening and glycoalkaloid accumulation can occur independently of each other, the latter can also happen due to physical damage, and age. A bitter taste is more reliable indicator. Symptoms are headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and in severe cases coma and death. The concentration of glycoalkaloid in wild potatoes suffices to produce toxic effects in humans. Breeders keep solanine levels below 200 mg/kg, but when green, the level becomes 1000 mg/kg, concentrated just below skin, so green skin is 2200 mg/kg. For adults the symptoms of nausea ~25 mg solanine, a life-threatening dose ~400 mg solanine. In the 70s, Solanine poisoning affected 78 school boys in Britain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropane_alkaloid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliriant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanidine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyoscyamine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopolamine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae

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