DATURA STRAMONIUM

Scientific Classification• Kingdom: planteae • Family Solanales• Sub family Solanoideae• Tribe Datureae• Genus Datura• Species stramonium• Full name Datura stramonium

Habitat: Datura stramonium is native to North America but was spread to the Old World early.

  It grows wild in all the world's warm and moderate regions, where it is found along roadsides and it is found as a weed on wastelands and in garbage dumps.

The seed is thought to be carried by birds and spread in their droppings. Its seeds can lie dormant underground for years and germinate when the soil is disturbed.  

Description of plant • Like a bush up to 2 to 5 feet (60–150 cm) tall.

• The stem is stout, erect, leafy, smooth, and pale yellow-green. The stem forks off repeatedly into branches, and at each fork forms a leaf and a single, erect flower

• The root is long, thick, fibrous and white.

Leaves• The leaves are approximately 3 to 8 inches long smooth,

toothed, soft, irregularly undulate. The upper surface of the leaves is a darker green, and the bottom is a light green

• .The leaves have a bitter and nauseatin taste remains even after the

leaves have been dried.

Description of flower• Datura stramonium generally flowers throughout the

summer. The fragrant flowers are trumpet-shaped, white to creamy or violet, (6–9 cm) long, and grow on short stems from either the  axils of the leaves or the places where the branches fork.

• The calyx  is long and tubular, swollen at the bottom, and sharply angled, surmounted by five sharp teeth. The corolla , which is folded and only partially open, is white, funnel-shaped, and has prominent ribs. The flowers open at night, emitting a pleasant fragrance.

Description of Fruit The egg-shaped seed capsule is 1 to 3 inches in diameter and either covered with spines or bald. At maturity it splits into four chambers, each with dozens of small black seeds.

Active ingredientsThe major alkaloids are

Atropine, hyoscyamine ,scopolamine

64minor tropane alkaloids have been identified in Datura species.

Tigloidin, aposcopolamine, apoatropin,

hyoscyamine N-oxide and scopolamine N-oxide17-20.

ditigloyloxytropane and 7-hydroxyhyoscyamine are reported for the first time in this species

Commercial and medicinal uses • Datura is extremely effective treatment for asthma symptoms• as an analges• The Chinese also used it as anaesthesia during surgery• used to treat Parkinson's disease • motion sickness • to inhibit parasympathetic stimulation of the urinary tract, respiratory tract, GI

tract, heart and eye. • . Acaricidal, repellent and oviposition deterrent properties•  Antimicrobial Activity• Antiinflamatory activity• Larvicidal and mosquito repellent activities• . Pesticide toxicity

Atropine• Normal dose >10 mg atropine.• Atropine Sulfate Injection, USP keep the heart beat 

normal•  Before anaesthesia to decrease mucus secretions• Lomotil tablets (atropine sulfate, diphenoxylate

hydrochloride)

• Minims Atropine Sulphate 1%, Eye drops solution  atropine sulfate Dilating the pupil to aid examination of the inside of the eyebal, eg the fundus and retina.

Hyoscyamine• Dose 0.125mg to 0.375 mg

Examples:

Hyoscyamine Sulfate Tablet

Levsin®

Anaspaz 

Cystospaz

Donnamar

Scopolamine:•  Dose 2–4 mg• Transderm Scōp®