China 
Africa 
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Alkaloids potential health Benefits and toxicity
Published in Quan V. Vuong, Utilisation of Bioactive Compounds from Agricultural and Food Waste, 2017
Renée A. Street, Gerhard Prinsloo, Lyndy J. McGaw
Tropane alkaloids (TAs) are among the plant toxins with potential health risks to humans. The term tropane alkaloids refers to a group of over 200 compounds renowned for their occurrence in the family Solanaceae. Of special interest are the Datura species which readily synthesize high amounts of tropane alkaloids. One of the most notorious poisonous plants is Datura stramonium L., a wild-growing herb commonly known as Jimson weed (Adegoke and Alo 2013, Sanlidag et al. 2014). Plants of the genus Datura are often abused for their hallucinogenic properties, resulting in acute poisoning and even death (Boumba et al. 2004, Diker et al. 2007). Datura species produce numerous tiny seeds encapsulated in apple-shaped fruit capsules. Upon release, the seeds have been found as noteworthy impurities in soybean and linseed products, introducing a variable amount of tropane alkaloids into the feed material (Alexander et al. 2008). Another notorious TA-containing plant is the perennial Atropa belladonna, commonly known as deadly nightshade. It contains toxic TAs in all parts, the more dangerous of which are the berries owing to their attractive appearance and sweet taste (Beyer et al. 2009).
Antibacterial, cytotoxicity and biodegradability studies of polycaprolactone nanofibers holding green synthesized Ag nanoparticles using atropa belladonna extract
Published in Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition, 2022
Muhammed Onur Avci, Nedim Muzoglu, Aysel Ersoy Yilmaz, Binboga Siddik Yarman
Atropa belladonna is a perennial herb belonging to the Solanaceae family and has a very intensive source of tropane alkaloids. This plant includes tropane alkaloids, atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine and anisodamine. Atropine is the important chemical of this plant and is mostly found in its leaves and black fruits. The leaves, fruits, stems and roots of this plant have been used in the treatment of many diseases such as joint pain, muscle spasms, brain, eye and acute inflammation, scarlatina, pancreatitis and neurological disorders [10,39]. In addition, atropa belladonna is included in over-the-counter medications that are not approved by the FDA for human use and it is used as a sedative to stop spasms such as cough, cold, asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, Parkinson’s disease (PD), neuralgia, and rheumatism [40]. As a result of chemical studies, it has been revealed that these plants also have strong antioxidant and anti-cancer properties [41]. Considering the enormous medicinal significance of atropa belladonna, AgNPs have been produced by green synthesis using its extract and successful studies have been conducted on their therapeutic potential [10,42]. Many active ingredients are found in atropa belladonna play an important role as reducing and covering agents. The current study aims to reveal the antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of biodegradable PCL nanofibers doped with AgNPs biosynthesized using atropa belladonna extract, which has therapeutic potential.