Tag: Toxic plants

The cardiac drug digoxin, which has been in use for more than 200 years, is a product of the herbal remedy derived from the foxglove plant. Its use was popularized in the 18th century for treating 'dropsy,' or edema associated with heart failure, a finding that shed light on a pivotal medical application of a naturally occurring but highly potent substance. This established the foundation for understanding what drug is extracted from foxglove and its profound impact on cardiovascular medicine.

Belladonna, also known as deadly nightshade, is a highly poisonous plant whose potent alkaloids have been utilized for centuries in medicine. In modern pharmacology, purified derivatives from this plant are most commonly used to treat gastrointestinal spasms, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and to dilate pupils for eye examinations. The plant's compounds are far too toxic for uncontrolled use.

All parts of the *Atropa belladonna* plant are toxic, with as few as two berries being potentially fatal to a child [1.10.2]. So, in an age of modern medicine, what does belladonna do now? Its use has shifted from a raw, dangerous herb to a source of highly purified and life-saving pharmaceutical compounds [1.7.4, 1.5.2].

In 1785, English physician William Withering documented the medicinal use of the foxglove plant, paving the way for the development of modern heart drugs. This discovery led to the isolation of a potent compound that answers the question, 'What heart drug is obtained from foxgloves 9 letters?', which is digoxin.

Used for over 3,000 years, colchicine is one of the oldest drugs still in use today. It is derived from a beautiful yet highly poisonous plant, which is the answer to: what is the natural version of colchicine? Unlike the pharmaceutical form, this raw, herbal origin poses significant risks for anyone attempting to use it without medical supervision.

Used for thousands of years in herbal medicine, colchicine is one of the oldest remedies still in use today, and the question 'what plant does colchicine come from?' reveals a fascinating history. This potent alkaloid is primarily derived from the bulb-like corms of the highly toxic *Colchicum autumnale* plant, also known as the autumn crocus or meadow saffron.

The Solanaceae family, or nightshades, contains over 2,700 species, including common foods and some of the world's most toxic plants [1.2.7]. A 'nightshade drug' refers to potent medicinal alkaloids derived from these toxic species, most notably *Atropa belladonna* (deadly nightshade) [1.3.3, 1.2.3].

Dating back to ancient Egyptian and Greek texts, extracts from the toxic plant *Colchicum* were used to treat joint pain. It is crucial to understand that **colchicine and Colchicum are not the same thing**; colchicine is the isolated, standardized, and precisely dosed medication derived from the plant, which itself is highly poisonous.