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Abstract
The present article sought to evaluate the efficiency of various folk preparation methods commonly used in Europe for employing anticholinergic Solanaceae plants. The study aimed to uncover which folk methods were effective for the extraction of the anticholinergic tropane alkaloids of these plants, atropine and scopolamine. The folk extractions that were tested sought to simulate the preparation of teas, cold-water infusions, unguents, tinctures, fortified wines, and smoking. All preparation types and a control were then put through an extraction process to see what amount of the alkaloids had been maintained. These extractions were then analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Cold- and hot-water preparations, tinctures, and fortified wines all proved to be effective means of extracting atropine and scopolamine from plant material under conditions seen in folk usage. Smoking and the oil-based unguent, however, yielded no alkaloids, suggesting a lack of efficiency for these preparations, a problem with our methodology, or possible chemical changes and losses associated with the preparation procedure.
Highlights
Folk preparations for medicinal plants take on a range of different forms depending on their intended usage as well as the preferences and traditions of those making them.A single plant may, produce many medicines once it is considered how many different forms of preparation exist and how many parts of a given plant may be used.This becomes an increasingly important consideration when speaking of medicinal plants that are toxic in concentrations that could reasonably be consumed by an individual, either accidentally or purposefully.One such group of plants are those in the Solanaceae containing anticholinergic tropane alkaloids; sometimes referred to as the nightshades and represented by the genera Atropa, Datura, Hyoscyamus, Mandragora, and Scopolia, these plants have played an important role in the herbal and medicinal histories of Europe
([C17 H23 NO3, Figure 1] better known as atropine when in its racemic form) and scopolamine (C17 H21 NO4, Figure 2), both of which are powerful muscarine antagonists that prevent the binding of acetylcholine, causing a range of effects related to heart rate, perspiration, respiration, smooth muscle contraction, and central nervous system function [1,2,3,4,5]
The content of the alkaloids was much higher in the leaves than in the roots, with this difference being especially pronounced in terms of scopolamine concentration
Summary
One such group of plants are those in the Solanaceae containing anticholinergic tropane alkaloids; sometimes referred to as the nightshades and represented by the genera Atropa, Datura, Hyoscyamus, Mandragora, and Scopolia, these plants have played an important role in the herbal and medicinal histories of Europe These plants contain hyoscyamine ([C17 H23 NO3 , Figure 1] better known as atropine when in its racemic form) and scopolamine (C17 H21 NO4 , Figure 2), both of which are powerful muscarine antagonists that prevent the binding of acetylcholine, causing a range of effects related to heart rate, perspiration, respiration, smooth muscle contraction, and central nervous system function [1,2,3,4,5]. These plants were primarily used for their anaesthetic and analgesic effects, though this use came to be largely discontinued in favour of using them for treating asthma and other respiratory ailments; in addition, they found use for many other health concerns, ranging from skin conditions to demonic possession [6]
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