Belladona

Booklet No. 438

Medicinal Plants: MPS - 11
Contents
Preface
I. Introduction
II. Distribution
III. Botany
IV. Chemical Composition
V. Soil and Climate
VI. Propagation
VII. Nursery Raising
VIII. Manures and Fertilizers
IX. Irrigation
X. Inter Culture and Weed Control
XI. Diseases and Insect Pests
XII. Harvesting and Storage
XIII. Yield
XIV. Uses
XV. Conclusion

Preface

Belladonna is one of the most important plant used in modem medicine throughout the
world. Because of its mydriatic, sedative and antispasmodic properties, the plant is used in a
number of formulations both in the form of crude extract and pure alkaloid. Earlier, the
requirement of Belladona for the medical industry were met by natural resources which are now
diminishing, necessitating its cultivation of belladonna for its sustained supply.

Dr. K T. Chandy, Agricultural &Environmental Education

I. Introduction

Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) belongs to the family Solanaceae. A genus of herbs,

distributed in Europe and Asia. One species A. acuminata is endemic to India and valued for its
alkaloids where as A. belladonna L., the European species has been successfully introduced
and is cultivated for its alkaloids in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir.

In different languages and at different places it is known by different names as given in

table. 1.

Table 1: Vemacular names of Belladonna

Sl.No Language/state Name
1 Bengali Yebruj
2 Hindi Angur shefa, Lukmuna, sagan gur
3 Kannada Nati belladonna
4 Himachal Pradesh Jhakra
5 Kashmir Mait- brand
6 Punjab Angur-shefa, suchi
 7 Bombay Girbuti

The genus name Atropa has been derived from "Atropos" the Greek goddess of death.
This name was given on the basis of wide use of the drug as a poison by the Greeks and the
Romans. The word belladonna is derived from the Latin word "bella" meaning beautiful and
"donna" means woman. This nomenclature has been adopted because of the fact that in olden
days the Italian ladies used the berries of the plant as cosmetic to dilate the pupil of their eyes.

The medicinal value of belladonna was discovered accidentally when Daries, a drug
clerk in Hamburg, inadvertently rubbed all extract of the plant into his eyes. This led to the
discovery of the local action and mydriatic (pupil dilator) properties of Belladonna.

Leaves of Belladonna were at first included in the British Pharmacopoeia as a drug in

1809. The roots were accepted as a drug only in 1880. The commercial drug is obtained from
the leaves, tops and roots of A. belladonna and A. acuminata often referred as Indian
Belladonna. Although in most of the countries of the world the drug is obtained from A.
belladonna, in India all the belladonna comes from the plantations which are a mixture of A.
belladonna and A. acuminata

II. Distribution

Atropa belladonna occurs naturally in central and southern Europe. It is also found
growing ill calcareous soils in England and Greece. It is cultivated in a number of countries
including England, Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia, USA and India.

It is found in the western Himalayan ranges extending from Kashmir at altitudes of 1,800
-3,600 m to adjoining hills of Himachal Pradesh up to 2,500 m. Belladonna occurs chiefly in the
valleys of Jhelum, Chenab and Kishanganga rivers and the forests of Bhadarwah and Kishtwar
in Jammu and Kashmir. In Himachal Pradesh, it occurs in the Kangra reserve forests, the Kulu
forest division in Kinnaur, and the Narkanda forests in Simla hills. In Uttar Pradesh it is found
growing near Chakrata and in West Bengal near Darjeeling.

III. Botany

Atropa belladonna is a perennial herb up to 1.5 m tall with a strong root system. The
lower part of the stem may be either simple or bear three directional branching. The young stem
is covered with greenish trichomes and may be greenish or reddish violet in colour. Leaves are
ovate or oblong ovate, 7.5 x i 10.0 cm, entire, acuminate narrowed to a petiole, alternate, or in
pairs of which one is smaller than the other. Flowers are large bell-shaped, upper part brownish
violet or purple or golden brown with violet brown veins. Fruits are globular, slightly bilobed,
shining purple-black, subtended by enlarged calyx lobe.

Atropa acuminata is a tall perennial herb 0.7 to 1.5 m in height with dichotomously
branched system. Leaves are green or olive green in colour, 7-18 cm in length and 3 to 7 cm in
breadth, oblong gradually tapering towards the base and apex.

On flowering branches the leaves are in pairs. Flowers are auxiliary, dirty yellowish in
colour, campanulate, occurring singly or in groups of two to four. Fruits are globular and purple
black in colour.
 Both the species are more or less similar except for the shape of leaves and colour of
flowers. On upper branches each leaf is accompanied by a small stipule like leaf.

Belladonna is a hexaploid plant with 2n = 72 (x=12). Most of the cultivated strains are
being obtained from wild races in Europe and India. Tetraploids have been obtained but if they
have not been found to be useful. A number of mutants obtained through chemical mutagens
have also not been found of any practical value. Selection work has been done in Russia , and it
is claimed that strains having up to 1% alkaloids have been obtained.

IV. Chemical Composition

Both the leaves as well as root of the plant contain total alkaloids from 0.3% to 1 per
cent. About three-fourth of the total alkaloids is present in the form of L-hyoscyamine, the
remainder being hyoscine (scopolamine) and atropine. Atropine is present in the fresh plant only
in traces and is formed by racemization during extraction of the drug. Small but varying amounts
of other alkaloids like apoatropine, belladonnine, and cuscohygrine are also present. According
to the British pharmacopoeia, the leaves and roots should not contain less than 0.4% total
alkaloids calculated as hyoscyamine.

All parts of the plant contain alkaloids, but the alkaloids are produced in the roots only
and are translocated through stern. Though only the leaves and the roots are used
commercially, other parts especially the seeds could also prove to be promising source of
alkaloids. The roots give better yield of alkaloids than the leaves, but in the first year of planting
they are very thin and are not suitable for commercial extraction.

There is a great variation in the content of total bella-donna alkaloids as also of

individual alkaloids due to several factors both intrinsic and extrinsic. The plants raised in
sunlight contain 50% more alkaloids than those growing in shade. The single -stemmed plant
yielded higher percentage of alkaloids than the multi-stemmed ones. The alkaloid content which
is maximum in the roots, stems and leaves at the time of flowering, progressively decreases at
the fruit bearing stage (November in India). The leaves of the plants whose flowers have been
removed earlier contained 0.7% alkaloids whereas those with flowers intact contained only 0.5
per cent. Young tissues are richer in alkaloids than the mature ones. The terminal leaves
contain maximum quantity of alkaloids and the basal t ones the minimum. The presence of trace
elements like iron, manganese, cobalt and particularly copper in the leaves appears to increase
the accumulation of alkaloids.

Nitrogeneous fertilizers, especially ammonium nitrate, increased the total alkaloid

content. Calcium, potassium and phsophorus manuring increases the yield of the alkaloids only
to a slight extent Tetraploids obtained by colchicine treatment or branch chimeras contained
more alkaloids.

The various alkaloids occurring in belladonna roots, leaves and seeds are listed in table
2.
Table 2 : Alkaloids of Belladonna roots, leaves and seeds

Sl.No Plant part Alkaloids

1 Root I- hyoscyamine and its N-oxides, atropine, hyoscine
(altroscine, scopolamine), apo-atropine, (atropamine),
belladonnine, bellaridine, cusohygrine
2 Leaves I- hyoscyamine, and its N-oxides, atropine hyoscine and its
 N-oxides, apo-atropine, belladonine, noratropine, apo-
scopolamine, norscopolamine, scopadonine, nicotine
3 Seeds I – hyoscyamine and its N-oxides, atropine, hyoscine, apo-
atropine, noratropine, aposcopolamine, norscopolamine

Atropine has wide applications. As an antispasmodic substance it relaxes smooth

muscles in alimentary and bilary tracts (as in peptic ulcer), in urinary tract (as in tenesmus
infection), in uterus (or in dysmenorrhoea) and in bronchi (as in asthma).

It acts as an antisecretary agent to reduce sweating, as in nightsweat, and to reduce

salivary and bronchial secretions.

As a mydriatic, it dilates the pupil and paralyses for examination and postoperative
condition.

By vagal inhibition, atropine increases heart rate and thus acts as a cardiac stimulant. To
reduce tremor and rigidity as in case of "Parkisonism" atropine serves as a central
"abtusoasmodic" agent. Scopolamine is used principally for central effects to reduce tremor, and
rigidity in "Parkinsonism" as a sedative often in connection with morphine (twilight sleep); as a
preanaesthetic meditation and in motion stiff knees.

V. Soil and Climate

Belladonna is a temperate plant and grows well in deep fertile soils of medium texture
which are rich in humus. Heavy clay soils, which are water-logged, should be avoided. In
temperate climates the plants behave as a perennial and gives maximum yield of herb and
alkaloid. It can also be cultivated as a winter crop in subtropical areas like northern India but
under such conditions only one crop can be obtained and the plant behaves as an annual as it
dies during the summer months and the yield is poor because of limited number of harvests of
leaves. Belladonna crop also requires protection from strong sunlight.

VI. Propagation

Population of belladonna in the existing plantations is heterogeneous comprising A.

acuminata, A. belladonna and a hybrid of these two species; Morphologically, they are
distinguishable. Atropa.belladonna is a herb 30-70 cm in height with divaricate branching near
the base, 8-20 cm long leaves and purple flowers. The hybrid is 40-90 cm in height with
divaricate branching at the base, ovate to ovate lanceolate 11-22 cm long leaves and yellow
flowers with purple tips.

Recently belladonna has been grown by tissue culture methods for production of
atropine. The excised root tips, 1.0 cm long are grown in aseptic conditions in the laboratory in
modified street and McGregor's nutrient solution at 280 in the dark. The dry weight of the;
excised root tips increases steadily with the process of culture period. The root tips synthesize
@ 45% atropine when cultured on revised Murashige and Skoogs nutrient medium.

The plants are heterogeneous due to cross pollination and there is considerable
variation in growth habit and alkaloid content. Treating the seeds with chemical mutagens and
radiation increases the variability and widens the scope for increasing the alkaloid content and
the herb yield. The plant can be propagated from seeds or from cutting of the young shoots or
from fleshy root stocks. Large scale cultivation is however most successful with seeds under
tropical conditions. The seeds i are very small, brownish black and are obtained by crushing the
berries. They show poor germination due to the hard, thick and waxy seed coat, an inhibitor
present in the seed coat and an internal membrane enclosing the rudimentary embryo. Seeds
pre-treated with sulphuric acid, ethyl alcohol or petroleum ether give better germination than the
un-treated ones, but the plants from treated seeds are stunted and their alkaloid context is only
40%, that of the plants from untreated seeds. Treating the seeds with gibberellic acid (40 ppm
for 24 hours) or thiourea (0.5-2%) improves germination without affecting the t alkaloid content.
Surface sterilization of the seeds by fungicides like captan, agrosan GN, dithane -45 or agallol
before sowing reduces seedling mortality due to damping off.

VII. Nursery Raising

Although belladonna has been cultivated by direct sowing, raising of the nursery gives
the best results. Before making the beds, the land should be tilled well so as to give a fine tilth.
Raised nursery beds should be made surrounded by drainage and irrigation channels. Well-
rotten farm yard manure or sheep manure should be mixed in the top 10 cm of the soil. Seeds
should broadcasted on the surface of the beds at the rate of 200 of seed per square meter. Use
of heavy seed rate is essential for getting good stand. Although a number of authors have
suggested that germination of belladonna seeds require special treatment, experience in
Kashmir has shown that belladonna seeds germinate readily, if planted properly at the proper
time. The broadcasted seeds should be covered with a layer of well rotten leaf compost or
farmyard manure and soil. Alternatively the beds can be covered with a mulch of rice straw or
wheat straw. The fields should be irrigated with a sprinkler. After the seeds have sprouted, the
mulch should be removed. The beds should be kept free of weeds by frequent hand weeding
and irrigated frequently. The best time for raising the seedlings is early summer (May-June) or
autumn (September-October). Planting the seedlings are ready for planting in the field after 8-12
week. The ideal time for planting in the field is early spring (March-April) or autumn (October-
November). Generally seedlings raised in autumn are planted in spring and those raised in
summer are planted in autumn.

Seedlings should be planted at a distance of 50-60 cm in rows kept 60-70 cm apart. It is

always safer to plant the seedlings on ridges as it avoids water logging and facilitates irrigation.

VIII. Manures and Fertilizers

Studies in Europe and India have shown that belladonna responds well to fertilizer
application. Nitrogenous fertilizers give good response. However, application of nitrogen beyond
a certain level does not affect the alkaloid content. It is always better to give a balanced fertilizer
of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in order to get a good crop. Normally, a basal dose of 20
kg/ha nitrogen, 60 kg/ha phosphorus and 50 kg/ha potash should be applied before planting.
Three top dressings of nitrogen at the rate of 20 kg/ha per application at an interval of six weeks
give good results under Indian conditions. This practice should be followed during .the first year
60 kg/ha nitrogen in 2 split doses should be applied in succeeding years. Trace elements have
also been found to affect growth.

IX. Irrigation

Belladonna has a high water requirement and it should be irrigated frequently during the
dry period. Normally 6-7 irrigations are required in Kashmir valley during the dry months from
June to September. While irrigating care should be taken to avoid water-logging.
X. Inter-culture and Weed Control

The plant require frequent inter culture to keep the soil loose and to control weeds. The
common weeds found with belladonna are Stachys germanica Lin., Verbascum thapsus linn,
Senecio spp., Phytolacca acinosa and Brassica species. Repeated weeding and hoeing should
be done. Normally 3-4 weedings and hoeing are required during the growing season.

The weeds can also be removed by pulling them out before flowering. Inter culture can
also be carried out by a tractor. However, hand weeding is practicable in hilly areas on small
terrains.

XI. Diseases and Insect Pests

Belladonna is affected by a number of diseases. Most important diseases are root rot
and leaf spot.

Root rot is caused by a fungus Phytophthora nicotianae. The symptoms consist of soft
rot of roots and the stem just above the ground level. In severe cases the plant topple over and
dies. This happens mostly in wet conditions.

Root rot is also caused by Pythium butleri is the only serious disease in India which
causes considerable damage to plantations in Kashmir every year. Plants at very early stage of
growth are affected. In young seedlings the fungus causes pre and post- emergence damping
off. This can be controlled by fumigation of the soil by metliyle-bromide and treating the seeds
with captan would reduce the damage and increase crop yield. Older plants when affected
suffer from wilting and finally die. If the affected plants are pulled up, the cortex of the roots and
the lower parts of the stem is found to have a brownish soft rot.

In order to reduce the dying it is better to plant healthy seedlings raised on seed beds
which are fumigated with methyl bromide. It is better to avoid planting belladonna continuously
on the same plot. After a 3 year crop of belladonna, the field should be planted with a crop like
rye or wheat, which should be flowered by a 5 year crop of pyrethrum.

Leaf spot is caused by the fungus Ascophyta atropae. The disease is characterized by
appearance of small roundish brown spots on the leaves. In severe cases the leaf spots cause
blighting of the leaves. The disease can be controlled by spraying of blitox.

Cutworms (Agrostes flammetra) does considerable damage in nursery and young plants
in the fields. The attack is severe in early summer months of April-May when the seedlings and
young plants are cut at ground level. The pest can be controlled by treating the seed bed with
Aldrin just before planting and treating the soil with a solution of chlordane (1:19) 2 weeks after
germination of the seedlings.

XII. Harvesting and Storage

Belladonna grows vigorously during summer and rainy seasons. In autumn and winter,
the plants start shedding leaves. The subterranean parts resume growth with the advent of
spring. In the second year the plants start flowering.

Belladonna yield two crops of leaves during the first year of growth. In the second and
subsequent years it gives 3 or 4 leaf crops. The roots are however, dug out after the third or
fourth year of planting. Harvesting begins with the first sign of flowering when the alkaloid
content in the plant is at the peak. The plants are cut in August, about 30 cm above the ground
with a sickle or a cutter, while in the autumn they are cut 3 cm close to the ground. Cutting at 30
cm height ensures quick regeneration of leaves and more leaf content and elimination of woody
branches having low alkaloid content. The plants are irrigated and fertilized immediately after
harvest so that they put out new shoots again. The harvested crop is cropped into pieces,
particularly the young herbaceous shoots, and dried by spreading in the sun in thin layers.
Losses up to 30% can occur if the material is dried in thick layers. The material is periodically
raked to ensure uniform drying to retain the green colour of leaves and also to prevent
decomposition of alkaloids by enzymatic action. Drying at 400 for 24 hours ensures complete
drying. Hot air is sometimes employed for drying. The woody stems are discaIded and the dried
material is stored in gunny or polythene bags; in well-ventilated sheds. Under humid conditions,
material absorbs moisture resulting in the lowering of alkaloid content. Lumps of calcium
chloride kept in store rooms help to avoid such moist conditions.

XIII. Yield

The yield of leaves from a uniform belladonna crop varies between 500 and 600 kg/ha in
the fist year and reaches up to 750 kg/ha in the subsequent years. At Seoni and Chaubatia
(U.P.) yield up to 1,500 kg/ha is recorded in experimental trials. Grown as a winter annual in the
plains of Jammu, the crop yields 1,440 kg of leaves (dry weight) and 240 kg of root (dry weight)
per hectare. The ratio of stem to leaf in the harvested leaf crop is 50:50 by weight.

In temperate climate the roots are dug out by ploughing after the third or fourth year of
planting. They are washed and cleaned and cut into short pieces of 10 cm, the thicker ones are
sliced lengthwise. They are dried thoroughly in the sun or by artificial heat. The yield of roots is
160 kg/ha. The drug (belladonna) consists of cylindrical pieces of the roots up to three cm thick,
occasionally branched, slightly contorted and with a short tough fracture. They are pale
brownish grey and longitudinally wrinkled. Pieces with the crown are 3-9 cm in diameter at the
top, and have bases of 4-12 aerial stems.

The powdered root is grey to light brown in colour. It has a characteristic odour and a
sweetish taste which later becomes bitter.

The drug from the leaves, called belladonna herb has a slight odour and a somewhat
bitter and acrid taste. It consists of the dried leaves; the powdered leaves are greenish yellow.
Sometimes flowers with short pedicles, immature fruits and seeds are found in the dung.

XIV. Uses

In traditional Indian systems of medicine, the plant is not used much, except as it
substitute of Datura, for external application to relieve pains and internally for relief in cough,
asthma, and other bronchial troubles but in modem medicine, alkaloids from it are extensively
used in ophthalmology and as a sedative.

It is used in unani preparation "Habul Khaskhash" for cough and cold. Belladonna is
used mainly as extract, tincture or plaster and it has been rarely used as a source of pure
alkaloids. Recently use of total alkaloids has become common. Various preparations of
belladonna are employed in medicines, mainly because of anticholinergic action of tropane
alkaloids. In case of diseases of respiratory tract like asthma and whooping cough it is used to
check glandular secretion and spasms of the bronchial tube. Similarly for the same purpose it is
also used in intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers, coitic pain, pain of urinary bladder and kidney
stones to check spasms and pain as well as glandular secretion. It is also used in case of
epileptic conditions Parkinson's disease, night sweats-and bradycardia. In suitable doses it is
also used as sedative and in the form of plaster and ointments it is used as an anti-inflammatory
agent. It is often used as antidote for opium and muscarine poisoning. The dried leaves are
smoked as an antispasmodic. The root is generally used externally and not internally, it is used
as an anodyne (drug which relieves pain) for rheumatism (pains in muscles, joints and certain
tissues), neuralgia (pain felt over a nerve) lumbago (rheumatism of muscles at back) and local
inflammations.

XV. Conclusion

India imports the crude drug as well as its alkaloids prepared from Belladona.
Sometimes there is a problem of adulteration. The roots of Althaea officinalis are sometimes
mixed with belladonna roots but they can be distinguished on the basis of their fracture and
absence of starch in the exposed surface. The leaves of Phylolacca acinosa which grows side
by side with belladonna in nature, often mixed with or substituted to belladonna leaves. It can be
detected in commercial samples by its ovate leaves and hollow stems.

Previously, most of the belladonna was obtained from the forests of Jammu and Kashmir
and the crude drug was exported. Now the plant is becoming extinct in Kashmir forests. The
most economic method of propagation is raising a nursery through seeds and transplanting it in
the field. Fanners should undertake belladonna as a crop and earn profit as well as help in
fulfilling the annual demand of drug which is estimated to be more than 800 quintals.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%