Toxic Risks of Nightshade Species: A comprehensive review of the documented toxicity of Atropa belladonna, Solanum dulcamara, and Solanum nigrum.

Host plant choice, suitability of and conditioning to the host in Leptinotarsa decemlineata SAY were studied under controlled conditions.The literature on historical and geographical distribution of the Colorado beetle has been reviewed and an extensive survey is given of the literature on food plant range, host plant selection, orientation to the host, host plant recognition and conditioning of host plant preference concerning Leptinotarsa decemlineata.Definitions of host plant relationship and several other criteria are discussed. In this thesis 'feeding preference for a given plant' means that in a choice test, the quantity eaten from this plant exceeds the quantity consumed from each of the other plants. An 'oviposition preference for a given plant' means that the number of eggs deposited on this plant outnumbers the oviposition on any other plant at the disposal of the insect.All experiments were performed with insects reared in the laboratory; most of the plants used were grown in a greenhouse.The suitability of the plants to function as host was determined by rearing beetles ab ovo on Solanum tuberosum, Solanum dulcamara, Solanum luteum, Solanum nigrum and Solanum lycopersicum. The results appeared to coincide with the preference for food. Solanum tuberosum gives best results and is preferred to Solanum dulcamara, which gives satisfying results (as do Solanum carolinense and Solanum rostratum) and is readily eaten too. Solanum lycopersicum is normally avoided and only eaten when nothing else is available; it yields poor rearing results, which differs with different strains used.Solanum luteum and Solanum nigrum are avoided even when starvation is the only alternative. The avoidance of Solanum luteum apparently is caused by rejective properties and not by lack of phagostimulants or toxic compounds. This is shown by oviposition experiments, by alternate feeding, by sandwich tests and by food choice experiments with leaves impregnated with juices of Solanum luteum.The duration of larval development on the different food plants is not very variable and is dependent on experimental circumstances (e.g. temperature and physiological condition of the plants).Food choice experiments with larvae and adult beetles reared on Solanum tuberosum or one of the other experimental plants, gave no indication that preimaginal experience had any influence on host preference of the insect. Solanum tuberosum was preferred to all other plants used. Food choice was greatly influenced by the condition of the plant, the plant variety and the test conditions.With increasing temperatures the rate of food intake also increases, but more so with Solanum dulcamara than with Solanum tuberosum when offered simultaneously; Solanum tuberosum is preferred at lower temperatures, Solanum dulcamara at higher temperatures. This was true for both newly emerged and mature beetles, reared previously on either of these plants. Ambient temperature had no influence on the consumption of rejected plants. These effects as well as other factors influencing the food choice experiments have been discussed.Inbreeding on Solanum dulcamara resulted in a food preference for this plant species after eight and more generations.In screen tests and in olfactometer tests, performed with female beetles, besides olfactory stimuli, optical stimuli were introduced also. Both types of stimuli elicited searching behaviour, either separately or in conjunction and play a most important role in host plant recognition as well as in host plant finding. However, no conclusions about longer range attraction can be made yet.In oviposition preference experiments solitary female beetles were given the choice between Solanumtuberosum on the one hand and one of the experimental plants on the other. In control series the fecundity of the beetles was tested by rearing on both test plants separately. In comparison with tuberosum-reared beetles, fecundity of the Colorado beetles, reared on various food plants (as measured by the number of eggs deposited), was slightly depressed by Solanum dulcamara , more so by rearing on Solanum lycopersicum and heavily by rearing on Solanum luteum . It is very probable that the decline of fecundity is caused by a decrease of food consumption, owing to the apparently less palatable properties of these plants; renewed fecundity can be achieved by giving the beetles suitable food. Solanum tuberosum appeared to be preferred for oviposition to Solanum dulcamara and Solanum lycopersicum ; Solanum luteum , however, was preferred to Solanumtuberosum as an oviposition substratum, though this plant suppresses the fecundity and is avoided as food plant. Oviposition response to Solanum luteum could have been even stronger when the preference for Solanumtuberosum as food would not have interfered. In the choice experiments there is probably a decreased food intake and consequently a decreased egg production due to the daily period spent on Solanum luteum . Time appeared to be a limiting factor and, indeed, removal of Solanum luteum caused an increased fecundity. The conclusion is drawn that in host plant choice the selections of food and of oviposition substratum are based on two different mechanisms. Furthermore we conclude that this discrepancy will not be fatal for the insect, as a period of maturation feeding precedes the reproductive phase and consequently food plant choice by the adult beetle will determine the oviposition choice.Although it is possible to modify the host plant preference of the Colorado beetle, we conclude that habituation or 'learning' is not responsible for the host plant affinity of Leptinotarsa decemlineata SAY.

Until recently, various attempts have been made to simplify the prescription process in homoeopathic prescribing. The doctrine of signatures, miasmatic theory, the homoeopathic repertory and more recently, kingdom analysis by authors such as Sankaran (1994) and Scholten (1993) are some of the attempts that have been made to understand the materia medica. With the materia medica constantly expanding and considering that plants make up a significant percentage of the materia medica (Kayne, 2006), it is evident that new systems of homoeopathic prescribing are continually needed to help practitioners both study the remedies and prescribe more accurately. Aim The Solanaceae plant family are an important and well utilised plant family in homoeopathy (Vermeulen, 2004). Considering this, it was felt that a study investigating the relationship of the natural history of the family to its general and mental symptoms be conducted in order to apply a previously unexplored research paradigm in order to create a greater understanding of Solanaceae remedies utilised in homoeopathy. The study conducted was a non empirical correlation study of the Solanaceae plant family‟s natural history and general and mental symptoms manifested in Solanaceae remedies utilised in homoeopathy. The aims of the study were to establish if commonalties existed between general and mental symptoms of individual remedies belonging the Solanaceae family and their natural histories, as well as to establish if collective commonalities and correlations existed between the general and mental symptoms and the natural history of the Solanaceae family as a whole. Methodology The homoeopathic remedies obtained from the Solanaceae family of plants for the study were analysed in terms of rubric representation (size) using homoeopathic software packages, Radar 10.4 (Archibel, 2009b) and v Encyclopedia Homoeopathica (Archibel, 2009a) a sample selection was chosen. This selection was analysed in terms of general and mental rubrics. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to establish commonalities in keyword concepts between the respective natural histories of the studied family and their respective general and mental symptoms. Keywords obtained from data tables which included criteria such as habitat and distribution, plant description, active principles (primary alkaloids), uses, physiological action if ingested, historical significance, mythology and toxicology were subjected to thesaurus consultation and tabulated in an attempt to identify synonyms relating to the general and mental symptoms of individual remedies of the sample group in the study. This facilitated in the grouping of similar themes. Once commonalities pertaining to each individual species and remedy was further tabulated and discussed in terms of keywords relating to their natural histories, a collective analysis of common correlations between the plant family as a whole was performed. Results Common themes related to general and mental symptoms and to the natural histories of species in the study included “aggression” found in Atropa belladonna, “depression” found in Solanum dulcamara, “anxiety” found in Datura stramonium, “confusion” found in Hyoscyamus niger, “burns” found in Capsicum annuum, “ convulsions” found in Nicotiana tabacum , “ hallucinations” found in Mandragora officinarum and “delirium” found in Solanum nigrum. Common themes relating to general and mental symptoms and the natural history of the Solanaceae plant family as a whole included convulsions, hallucinations, confusion and anxiety. These themes were further compared to themes exhibited in Solanaceae studies conducted by Mangialavori (2007) and Sankaran (2002).

Çobanoğlu, Sultan, Ueckermann, Edward Albert, Kumral, Nabi Alper (2015): A new Tetranychus Dufour (Acari: Tetranychidae) associated with Solanaceae from Turkey. Turkish Journal of Zoology 39 (4): 565-570, DOI: 10.3906/zoo-1406-17, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1406-17

Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara L.) and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.), both members of the Solanaceae family, are wild growing medicinal plants occurring in different regions of Bulgaria. The aim of this study was to compare the chemical composition (identified by GC-MS) and, respectively, the sensory properties of the concentrated aromatic products (resinoids) obtained by extraction with ethanol from the fruits and the leaves of the plants. The resinoids were light brown (from fruits) or green (from leaves) viscous masses with a specific odor. The main compounds in all resinoids were carbohydrates (52.63-89.99% of the identified compounds), followed by organic, fatty and amino acids. The results from the study provide arguments that the resinoids obtained from bittersweet and black nightshade fruits and leaves could be regarded as possible bioactive components for incorporation in different cosmetic products.

Field recruitment on 10 solanaceous plant species by adult Colorado potato beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), and their oviposition, was investigated by frequent collection of adults and eggs from replicated Latin-square plots over 5 yr in Michigan, Maine, and Massachusetts. Preferred plants for adults were potato, Solanum tuberosum L.; bitter nightshade, Solanum dulcamara L., and buffalobur, Solanum rostratum Dunal; eggplant and horsenettle, Solanum melongena L. and Solanum carolinense L., were of intermediate rank in recruitment of adults. The remaining species (tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum L.; black nightshade, Solanum nigrum L.; silverleaf nightshade, Solanum eleaegnifolium Cavanilles; groundcherry, Physalis heterophylla Nees; jimsonweed, Datura stramonium L.) were not preferred. Adult recruitment and oviposition changed over the season and differed from site to site, but was not influenced by the host-plant origin of recruited adults. Daily collections of adults in Massachusetts in 1991 showed four distinct periods of adult recruitment. These differed in relative importance depending on whether plots were near or distant to previous and current year's potato fields. Early overwintered recruitment was highest and relatively less different between near and distant plots, reflecting the importance of flight during this period. Late overwintered recruitment was mostly by short-distance dispersal of adults that had already fed on potato plants, based on oviposition of collected females. Summer females also appeared to be previously fed, and their recruitment to distant plots suggested dispersal mostly by flight. Prediapause dispersal resulted in recruitment mostly to plots a short distance from potato fields. Reproduction, as measured by egg masses per adult, increased over the season, with summer adults showing the highest egg mass-adult ratio. Recruitment of adults and their oviposition in the field were positively associated with no-choice assays of fecundity and larval survival in the laboratory using the same plant species, but with relatively more rejection of intermediate-ranked hosts in the field.

Aqueous extracts of black nightshade, Solanum nigrum; deadly nightshade, Atropa belladonna; Egyptian henbane, Hyoscyamus muticus; thorn apple, Datura innoxia; ashwagndha, Withania somnifera leaves and fruits of chili pepper, Capsicum frutescens were assessed on juvenile mortality and egg hatching of the root knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica in vitro. The nematode mortalities were in the range of (54.33 to 100.0 %) in concentrations S/16, S/8 and S/4 compared to distilled water (1.33 %) and increased with the increase of the exposure time from 24 to 72 hrs. Deadly nightshade and chili pepper extracts were the most effective against second stage juveniles of nematode at concentration of S/4, followed by aqueous extracts of ashwagndha, thorn apple, black nightshade. Result showed that, the highest reduction in hatching inhibition percentage was recorded with concentration (S/4) of ashwagndha (97.63 %) followed by Egyptian henbane, deadly nightshade, black nightshade, thorn apple and chili pepper with inhibition percentages as (95.42, 94.60, 92.87, 79.61 and 67.97%) respectively.

Fruit of black (Solanum nigrum) nightshade and hairy nightshade (S. physalifolium var. nitidibaccatum) contaminate processed peas. The phenology of flower bud appearance (FBA) and flowering in both species was quantified using thermal time (base temperature (Tb), 6 °C) across five sowing dates, to inform management strategies. There was no photoperiod requirement for flowering in either species, hairy nightshade developed earlier (FBA, 352 °Cd; flowering, 509 °Cd) than black nightshade (FBA, 434 °Cd; flowering, 633 °Cd) but had a slower fruit growth rate than black nightshade. Hairy nightshade fruits reached the pea contamination threshold (3 mm diameter) prior to those of black nightshade. A comparison of processed pea cultivar maturity and sowing date showed that cultivars with a short thermal time to maturity (< 730 °Cd, Tb 4.5°C) would have a reduced risk of contamination by black nightshade but not by hairy nightshade.

Coal miners work underground, which means they are likely to be at greater risk of developing Vitamin D deficiency due to reduced sunlight exposure. Other industrial health risks may include oxidative stress, respiratory diseases, and inflammatory pathologies. Leaves of nightshade plants are rich in antioxidants, which means they can prevent mining-related diseases, compensate for vitamin D deficiency, and counteract oxidative stress at the cellular level. The article describes the component composition of the leaves of various Solanaceae plants to be used in functional foods fortified with antioxidants and vitamin D. The research featured dried leaves of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), potato (S. tuberosum L.), black nightshade (S. nigrum L.), and bittersweet nightshade (S. dulcamara L.). The antioxidant studies involved a comprehensive analysis of flavonoids, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and volatile organic compounds using ABTS and DPPH radicals. The vitamin D content was studied by high performance liquid chromatography. The leaves proved to be rich in flavonoids, chlorophyll, carotenoids, and volatile organic compounds. The high antioxidant potential was confirmed by ABTS and DPPH tests. The highest content of vitamin D belonged to potato leaves (224.7 μg/100 g) and black nightshade (22.8 μg/100 g), demonstrating good prospects for food fortification. The high antioxidant content in the leaves of tomato, potato, black nightshade, and bittersweet nightshade makes them a promising raw material for the functional food industry. They may be able to improve the health of miners and prevent industrial diseases.

Specific scopeThis Standard describes a diagnostic protocol for Ralstonia solanacearum, Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum and Ralstonia syzygii, i.e. phylotype/sequevar strain in the Ralstonia solanacearum Species Complex (RSSC).It should be used in conjunction with PM 7/76 Use of EPPO diagnostic protocols.Specific approval and amendmentApproved in 2003‐09. First revised in 2018‐02.

Leafy vegetables play a crucial role in the human diet providing numerous nutrients and health benefiting compounds. Leafy vegetables like collard (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum l.) are commonly consumed leafy vegetables in Kenya. However, their high perishability and short shelf life (usually 1-2 days at ambient temperature) limits their utilization resulting in significant high postharvest losses. This study assessed the effect of harvest stage and nitrogen fertilization on the postharvest shelf life of collard and black nightshade. Experiments were conducted at Kabete field station, University of Nairobi, using collard and black nightshade. Field experimental layout was a 4 x 3 factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Factors were nitrogen levels and harvest stage. Four levels of nitrogen (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N/ha) were applied on black nightshade and (0, 55.5, 111.1 and 166.6 kg N/ha) in collard where 0 kg N/ha was the control. Collard and black night shade were harvested at three harvest stages: 4 weeks, 6 weeks and 8 weeks after transplanting. The harvested vegetables were kept at ambient room condition (20 ºC, 55% relative humidity). Data collection was performed daily for quality related parameters which included color change, wilting index and cumulative weight loss. Results show that there was a progressive deterioration in quality of the collard and black nightshade with storage time regardless of harvest stage and nitrogen level. Harvesting at 8 weeks after transplanting resulted in longer shelf life in collard (three days) and black nightshade (two days) when compared to harvesting at 4 weeks or 6 weeks after transplanting. Collard and black nightshade showed reduced hue angles over storage time at different harvest stages. Black nightshade subjected to 90 kg N/ha and harvested at 4 weeks after transplanting had the highest wilting index of 33%. The highest cumulative weight loss of 29% was recorded in collard that were harvested at 8 weeks after transplanting. Black nightshade subjected to 90 kg N/ha and harvested at 6 weeks after transplanting showed the best color at a hue angle of 145°. Overall, harvesting at 8 weeks after transplanting resulted in the longest shelf life of both black nightshade and collard. These results show that low application of nitrogen fertilizer in black nightshade (30 kg N/ha) and in collard (55.5 kg N/ha) had minimal effects on weight loss and wilting and resulted in good keeping quality. Key words: Black nightshade, Collard, Harvest Stage, Nitrogen nutrition, Shelf life

Tetranychus evansi Baker &amp; Pritchard (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a significant agricultural pest in Europe, Africa, Oceania, and Asia, causing severe damage to Solanaceae crops such as tomatoes. However, although T. evansi invaded New Zealand in 2020, it is restricted to Auckland. It primarily inhabits black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and has not caused notable harm to local tomato crops. This study compared the developmental and reproductive performance of the invasive T. evansi population in New Zealand on black nightshade and tomato plants. The results showed that T. evansi had a significantly longer development time on tomato plants compared to black nightshade. In addition, both virgin and mated female of T. evansi laid significantly fewer eggs on tomato leaves than on black nightshade ones; and the average size (diameter) of eggs produced on tomato leaves were smaller than those produced on black nightshade. These findings suggest that the invasive T. evansi population in New Zealand are less able to adapt to tomatoes as hosts than to black nightshade. This study supplements the fundamental life history data of the invasive T. evansi population in New Zealand and provides scientific insights for its management strategies.

Ultrastructural effects of AAL-toxin T A from the fungus Alternaria alternata on black nightshade ( Solanum nigrum L.) leaf discs and correlation with biochemical measures of toxicity

The erectogenic potential of alkaloids extracted from Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) and Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) was investigated in this study. Fresh leaves obtained from Bitter leaf and Black night shade were air-dried, pulverized, and extracted for alkaloids. The inhibitory potential of the alkaloid extracts on arginase and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) activities in rats penile tissue was determined in vitro. The antioxidant properties were also evaluated and the constituent alkaloids quantified using GC-MS. The alkaloid extracts inhibited arginase (0-30.51μg/ml) and PDE-5 (0-133.69μg/ml) activities in a concentration-dependent pattern. Similarly, the alkaloid extracts inhibited Fe2+ -induced lipid peroxidation in rats penile tissues, scavenged DPPH, OH, and NO radicals as a function of concentration. GC-MS characterization revealed over 20 alkaloid compounds. The inhibition of PDE-5-, arginase-, pro-oxidant-induced lipid peroxidative-, and free radicals-scavenging activities by the alkaloids is suggestive of putative mechanisms underlying their therapeutic use for managing erectile dysfunction in folklore medicine. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Alkaloids extracted from Black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) and Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) were characterized and investigated by standard procedures for inhibitory action against key erectile dysfunction-linked enzymes and antioxidant activity. The alkaloids inhibited erectile dysfunction-linked enzymes (arginase and PDE-5) and showed considerable antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent manner. In view of this, we suggest the application of these results in the development of erectile dysfunction drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, with probable minimal or no adverse effect.

Eastern black nightshade (Solanum ptycanthum) and black (Solanum nigrum) nightshade are difficult to control in tomato, interfering with harvest and decreasing fruit quality and yield. In irrigated tomatoes, soil water depletion was greater as nightshade density increased. However, tomato yield loss due to black nightshade was greatest at the lower weed densities. As density increases, photosynthetic activity (photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, and stomatal resistance) of black nightshade is more affected than eastern black nightshade. Photosynthetic activity of tomato is the least affected. In greenhouse experiments where water was denied for approximately a week prior to measurement, tomatoes were more sensitive to water stress than were nightshades. Nightshades were more adapted to drought stress than were tomatoes.

Graftings between alkaloid-producing and non-alkaloid plants of theSolanaceae family have indicated the importance of the root and other subterraneous plant organs for the formation of alkaloids. If, for example, black nightshade(Solanum nigrum) is grafted on tobacco(Nicotiana Tabacum), the otherwise non-nicotinous scions ofSolanum nigrum contain considerable quantities of nicotine. If on the other hand the black nightshade is used as stock and the tobacco as scion, the nicotine completely disappears from the graftings. Similar results have been obtained from experiments with tomatoes(Solanum Lycopersicum) on one hand and thorn-apples(Datura Stramonium) and deadly nightshades(Atropa Belladonna) on the other. Morphological and histochemical investigations have likewise drawn attention to the subterraneous plant organs as centres of alkaloid formation. In this way hordenine is formed and stored only in the roots ofHordeum murinum, and berberine is to be found almost exclusively in the roots ofMahonia Aquifolium. Graftings which are carried out withNicotiana Tabacum, which contains nicotine, and withNicotiana glauca, which contains anabasine, have demonstrated the pronounced reciprocal influence of the alkaloid metabolism of scion and stock. These results are, however, not so conclusive as those obtained from graftings of non-alkaloid and alkaloid-producing scions or stocks. Nevertheless the following conclusions can be drawn from these investigations: A final decision whether the plants in question form the corresponding alkaloids or their precursors, or indeed both, in their subterraneous organs, can at present not yet be given. The investigation of these questions will also clarify in each individual case the migration of these alkaloids. Further experiments are here required, as it appears that the various plants react differently in this respect on being grafted. Perhaps it will be possible to throw light on this question by means of other methods.