Deadly Nightshade | Community Health

Deadly nightshade, or Atropa bella-donna, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to Europe and Western Asia. Its foliage and berries are extremely toxic, containing tropane alkaloids such as atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, which can cause delirium and hallucinations. With a history of use in traditional medicine and as a poison, deadly nightshade has been a subject of fascination and caution. Today, it is still used in pharmaceuticals as an anticholinergic, while its toxic properties make it a plant to handle with care. The plant's distribution extends from England to western Ukraine and Iran, and it has been naturalized or introduced in parts of Canada, North Africa, and the United States. As a member of the Solanaceae family, deadly nightshade is related to other plants like [[tomatoes|tomatoes]], [[potatoes|potatoes]], and [[eggplant|eggplant]]. Research on deadly nightshade has been conducted by organizations like the [[national-institutes-of-health|National Institutes of Health]] and the [[world-health-organization|World Health Organization]].