Keywords
Hyoscyamus niger seeds
Hyoscyamus niger smoking
Hyoscyamus niger smoking
Hyoscyamus niger cultivation
Henbane hyoscyamus niger plant
Hyoscyamus niger plants
Hyoscyamus niger smoking
Hyoscyamus niger smoking
Hyoscyamus niger cultivation
Henbane hyoscyamus niger plant
Hyoscyamus niger plants
Parts Used---Fresh leaves, flowering tops and branches, seeds.
Habitat : It is found throughout Central and Southern Europe and in Western Asia, extending to Kashmir and Siberia. As a weed of cultivation it now grows also in North America and Brazil.
Henbane is an annual to biennial with distinguishing hairy, toothed leaves and greenish to yellowish flowers with dark purple veins that almost appear black. Originally from Eurasia, it is now found throughout the world and is most commonly grown as an ornamental or landscaping plant. Henbane, like several other nightshades, has a long history of use as a medicinal and a poison, and it is still grown commercially for medicinal use in some parts of the world. Like its cousins, belladonna and datura, henbane was a common ingredient in witches’ brews. Containing the toxic alkaloids hyoscyamine and scopolamine, henbane was used as a poison at least since the Middle Ages. This type of poisoning, which can take place even after ingesting a small amount of plant or seed matter, can have symptoms such as increased salivation, headache, nausea, convulsions, hallucinations, stupor, coma and death. Ironically, henbane was once used as a flavoring in German pilsner beers until the German government stepped in and banned it as an ingredient. Henbane use has also been documented in a variety of other cultures including the Arabs, Ancient Greeks and in Tibetan medicine. It was also used as an admixture to the hallucinogenic brews of certain South American Indians. As a medicinal, it has mild pain relieving abilities, antispasmodic activity and causes pupil dilation. Based on such actions, it has been reportedly used for a list of conditions including toothaches, epilepsy, cough, asthma, and Parkinson’s Disease. One source also reports that placing the dried leaves around a house will help drive away mice.
Chemical Constituents : Hyoscyamus contains 0.045 to 0.15%alkaloids, mainly hyoscyamine and traces of hyoscine. Hyoscyamine or atropine is an ester of tropic acid and tropine. Alkaloids are present mainly in the mid-rib and petiole but absent in stems, Hyoscyamus originally contains optically active laevorotatory alkaloid l-hyoscyamine. Optically active alkaloids possess greater medicinal activity than their corresponding optically inactive isomers. During extraction from the plant because of the action of heat or chemical agents like acid or alkali optical activity of hyoscyamine is lost and the corresponding optically inactive racemic atropine is obtained. Atropine is an isomer of hyoscyamine and consists of equal parts of l-hyoscyamine and d.hyoscyamine. Atropine possesses lesser activity than hyoscyamine.
Parts available : Whole plant, Seed, Leaves
JK Medicinal Plants Introduction Centre
"Ginkgo House", Nambalbal, Pampore PPR J&K 192121
Mob:09858986794
Ph: 01933-223705
e-mail: jkmpic@gmail.com
home: http://jkmpic.blogspot.in
