1. Hyoscyamus niger, commonly known as henbane, is a poisonous plant belonging to the nightshade family. It contains tropane alkaloids that have anticholinergic, sedative, and deliriant properties. 2. Henbane was historically used as an anesthetic, sedative, and in "magic brews" for its psychoactive effects, which include hallucinations. It has also been used to treat pain, coughs, asthma, and nervous diseases. 3. The major active constituents are hyoscyamine and scopolamine. Pharmacologically, henbane acts as a mydriatic, antispasmodic, antimuscarinic

1. Kamlesh Singh Bora(B-Pharma 4rd Year)
DBIPR DEHRADUN
SUBMITED TO – Mr. Bhupander kumar

2. of Hyoscyamus
Hyoscyamus niger L. was classified by Linnaeus (1753) and is a member of
the Solanaceae family. The genus name Hyoscyamus derives from the Greek
hyoskyamos, meaning hog bean, as pigs were purportedly immune to its
toxic effects; even today hog's bean is a common name for H. niger (Mitich,
1992). The name henbane dates at least to AD 1265. The origins of the word
are unclear, but "hen" probably originally meant death rather than referring
to chickens.Other etymologies of the word associate it with the Indo-
European stem *bhelena whose hypothetical meaning is 'crazy plant' and
with the Proto-Germanic element bil meaning ‘vision, hallucination; magical
power, miraculous ability’.
Henbane was historically used in combination with other plants, such
as mandrake, deadly nightshade, and datura, as an anaesthetic potion, as
well as for its psychoactive properties in "magic brews". These psychoactive
properties include visual hallucinations and a sensation of flight. It was
originally used in continental Europe, Asia, and the Arab world, though it did
spread to England in the Middle Ages. The use of henbane by the ancient
Greeks was documented by Pliny who said it was "of the nature of wine and
therefore offensive to the understanding", and by Dioscorides who
recommended it as a sedative and analgesic. The plant, recorded as Herba
Apollinaris, was used to yield oracles by the priestesses of Apollo. Recently
evidence for its earlier use in the Scottish Neolithic has been debated.John
Gerard's Herball states: "The leaves, the seeds and the juice, when taken
internally cause an unquiet sleep, like unto the sleep of drunkenness, which
continueth long and is deadly to the patient. To wash the feet in a decoction
of Henbane, as also the often smelling of the flowers causeth sleep.
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3. 3
 Introduction
 Hyoscyamus niger, commonly known as henbane, black henbane or stinking nightshade, is a
the sleep of drunkenness, which continueth long and is deadly to the patient.
 Hyoscyamus — known as the henbanes — is a small genus of flowering plants in
the nightshade family, Solanaceae. It comprises 11 species, all of which are toxic. It, along
with other genera in the same family, is a source of the drug hyoscyamine (daturine).
Image Scientific name Distribution
Hyoscyamus albus L. – White henbane Spain and Morocco
Hyoscyams aureus L. – Golden henbane
Hyoscyamus boveanus L.
Hyoscyamus desertorum L.
Hyoscyamus muticus L. – Egyptian henbane (synonym: H. falezlez) Iran
Hyoscyamus niger L. – Black henbane North America
Hyoscyamus pusillus L. East Asia
Hyoscyamus reticulatus L.[2]

4. Henbane,Hyoscyamus herb,
Hyoscyamus leaves, Folia
Hyoscyamus, Hvoscyamus
herb, Hyoscyamus leaf,
Henbane, Khorsani Ajma
(Hindi).
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5. 5
 Vernacular Names
Languages (No. of
Names):
Vernacular Names
Tamil (34) :
acamanaki, caniyattiraiyam, caniyattirayam, karapi, karasavai, karcavai, karukam,
karukattomam, karunkurocikam, kiruminacam 2, kiruminacaniyomam, kirumiyokmam,
kirumiyomam, koracaniomam, korasanie omum, kuracani, kuracani yomam, kuracani,
kuracani, kuracaniyomam, kurasani omam, kurasani-yomam, kurashani-yomam, kurassani
omam, kurassaniyomam, kurocakam, kurocani, kurocani omam, kurocaniyomam,
kurocikavomam, naupattomam, omattuvayam 2, paracikavomam, tippiyam 2
Kannada (6) :
khuraa saani ajavaana, khuraasaani oma, khurasaani vaadakki, khurasani-ajavana,
khurasani-vadakki, khurasani-voma
Malayalam (2) : kurassani, parasikayavani
Sanskrit (17) :
dipya, kuberakhya, madaka, madakarini, mani, parasikava, parasikaya, parasikayavani,
pareckyawani, shyama, tivra, turushka, turuska, yahvani, yavani, yavanibheda, yawani
Urdu (5) : afeeqoon, ajwain khurasani, ajwain-e-qurasani, ajwain-i-khurasani, leshgharamas
Persian (2) : bang, bazrul-bang
Arabic (3) : ajwane khurasani, bazrulbanj, sekran
Hindi (6) :
ajwaina-kurasam, bisajain, khurasani ajavayan, khurasani-ajvayan, khurassani jamani,
parshik-yavani
Telugu (5) : kurasani-omam, kurasani-vaman, kurasaniyamani, kurashaani omam, kurinji-vaman
Marathi (3) : khorasanivova, khuresaani, vomvaa
English (7) :
black henbane, devil s-eye, henbane, hog bean, jupiter s bean, poison tobacco, stinking
nightshade

6.  Geographical Source
It consists of the dried leaves, and flowering tops of
Hyoscymus niger, belonging family Solanaceae.
Hyoscyamus is a native of Western Asia, North Africa,
Europe, and India. It is cultivated in Russia, Belgium,
Hungary and India.
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 Biological Source
 Cultivation and Collection
The drug is cultivated in commercial scale in Europe. In India,
it is cultivated in western region of Himalayan. It is annual or
biennial plant. The drug is propagated from seed. These take
two weeks for germination, then seedling are transplanted in
the field in the month of May and June. The plant is sprayed
by derris or pyrethrum (a insecticide) to protect the plant
from the potato beetle. The biennial plant flower in May June
and annual plant flowers in July or August. In European
countries drug is collected before fruiting and dried rapidly
by artificial heat at temperature 40-50°C.

7. 7
 Cultivation : The plant is best cultivated by transplants. Seeds are sown in
the nursery during the period February - April or September - October.
Transplanting starts 45 days after sowing. Transplants should be 8 cm high
and have at least three leaves. Cultivation in summer is preferred as the
growth rate is higher with high temperature.
 Rate of seeding : For one Feddan, 150 gm seeds are needed to be sown in
the nursery. The seeds are minute, so this amount may produce almost
20,000 transplants. Seeds could be obtained easily form the naturally
growing Hyoscyamus plants along Cairo - Ismailia or Cairo - Suez roads.
 Transplanting : Transplanting should be in moist soil.
 Irrigation : Hyoscyamus is a sensitive plant to water. It grows rapidly with irrigation, but with very low alkaloid content.
Irrigation could be every month in summer and every one month and half in winter. After the establishment of the plant,
and the roots reach the permanently wet layer at a depth of 60 cm or more, there is no need for irrigation.
 Harvest : The proper time for cutting the herb is during flowering and before fruiting. Cutting is performed to leave a
stump of 5 cm above the ground level.
Drying and preparation : The cut twigs and leaves are dried in air. It should be continuously turned to avoid the growth of
microorganisms due to its succulent nature. It is best to dry the herb in shade.
 Yield: The yield as a dry herb amounts to 7 - 8 ton per feddan. The alkaloid content is higher in plants growing in the
desert than those growing in the coastal region or in lower Egypt. The plant exhibits good growth in light soils and the
alkaloid content is higher under limited water supply. The plant is a water - economic desert plant.

8.  Macroscopic Characters
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 Leaves:
(i) Type -simple; shape-ovate,
(ii) Oblong to triangular ovate;
(iii) Size of lamina- 30 cm length;
(iv) Margin – irregular dentate;
(v) Apex – acute; Venation – pinnate
(vi) Surface- glandular and hairy;
(vii) Colour- light grayish green;
(viii) Texture- soft and sticky;
(ix) Odour – strong and
characteristic;
(x) Taste- bitter and acrid.
 Fruits:
(i) Size – 1 cm length;
(ii) Shape – ovoid, oblong;
(iii) Type – pyxis, encircled by the
calyx, which protrudes above the
fruit.
 Flowers:
(i) Colour -yellow with
purple veins;
(ii) Size-1.5 cm length and
2.5 cm diameter;
(iii) Calyx- 51obed
persistent;
(iv) Corolla – funnel shaped
and 5 lobed;
(v) Ovary – superior.
 Seeds:
(i) Shape: numerous,
reniform.
(ii) Size: 1 mm length,
(iii) Seed coat – brown and
reticulate.

9. Microscopic Characters
The whole fruit consist of two zones,
namely pericarp and the seed or
sometimes three parts namely epicarp,
mesocarp and endocarp.
Epidermis of epicarp is similar to that
of leaves, and show specialised
parenchymatous cells, sclerides, oil cell
and vascular bundle.
In umbelliferrous fruits oil cell are
present in mesocarp as vitae. In cases,
the endocarp is oily in nature
containing oil globules, aleurone grain
and reserve starch.
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10.  Chemical Constant
1. Apohyoscine, ascorbic acid and other amino acids like alanine, argenine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, etc.
2. Tropine, hyoscypicrin, hyoscine N-oxide and choline are also isolated from the plant.
Alkaloids
Tropane alkaloids (0.04-0.72%)
Hyoscine (Scopolamine) (40%)
Atropine
Apoatropine
Cuskhygrine
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 The Major Alkaloids are :-

11. Pharmacology
o Mechanism of action It was also used for the treatment of abdominal colic, pain due
to worm infestation, toothache, pain of pulmonary infections, tumors pain, pain associated
with urinary tract, especially kidney-stone. The seed oil was used externally for neuralgic,
dental and rheumatic pains. It was also used in odontalgia, bleeding gums, dental caries,
mamillitis, orchitis, rheumatoid arthritis, worm infection, colic, dyspepsia, flatulence, cardiac
debility, epistaxis, haematemesis, haemoptysis, whooping cough, asthma, bronchitis, catarrh,
conjunctivitis, otalgia, cephalalgia, fever, meningitis, anxiety, insomnia, scabies, urinary
calculi, diabetes, spermatorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, leucorrhoea, amenorrhoea, neuralgia,
beneficial in irritable affections and urinary tract. Hyoscyamus reticulatus: It was used in
asthma, gastric ulcers, for motion sickness and in Parkinson's disease.
o Cardiovascular inhibitory effects It was studied that the methanol extracts of H. niger seeds
exhibited hypotensive, cardiodepressant and vasodilator effects, causing a dose-dependent
(10－ 100 mg/kg) fall in the arterial blood pressure (BP) of rats under anesthesia. In guinea-
pig atria, the extract exhibited a cardiodepressant effect on the rate and force of
spontaneous atrial contractions. In isolated rabbit aorta, it (0.01－1.0 mg/mL) relaxed the
phenylephrine (PE, 1 mmol) and K+ (80 mmol) induced contractions and suppressed PE (1
mmol) control peaks obtained in Ca2+ free medium similar to that caused by verapamil. Its
vasodilator effect was endothelium-independent as it was not opposed by Nω-N-L-arginine
methyl ester in endothelium-intact rat aortic preparations and also occurred at a similar
concentration in endotheliumdenuded tissues.
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12. Toxicology
 Mandragora officinalis (mandrake), (henbane), Atropa belladonna (belladonna),
and Datura stramonium (Jimson weed) contain hyoscyamine, atropine,
and scopolamine alkaloids in leaves and roots. Datura stramonium is a common cause of
poisoning in Africa, India, and Central America. Seeds contain 0.4% atropine, and ten seeds
equal 1 mg atropine or 400 mg L-hyoscyamine. Neurological symptoms appear several hours
after eating seeds. Disorientation, delirium, hallucinations, seizures, photophobia, and coma
can occur. Mydriasis, cycloplegia, tachycardia, tachypnea, hypertension, urinary retention,
and decreased intestinal transit are present. Induction of emesis with ipecac syrup followed
by gastric lavage may be useful to remove Datura alkaloids.
 Solanum americanum (American nightshade), S. nigrum (black nightshade), S.
dulcamara (nightshade), S. lycopersicum (tomato), and S. tuberosum (potato) contain
the alkaloid solanine in their leaves and fruits. Solanine intake can cause nausea, vomiting,
dry mouth, abdominal pain, mydriasis, and seizures due to anticholinergic properties. Conium
maculatum (hemlock) contains the aliphatic alkaloid cicutoxin and the
toxic piperidine alkaloids coniine and y-coniceine. Coniine is detected in a concentration of
2% in fruits and 0.5% in leaves. Coniine provokes a curare-like effect on the neuromuscular
junction, whereas cicutoxin causes seizures. Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain begins
one hour after ingestion. Later, progressive paralysis, rhabdomyolysis, tubular necrosis, acute
renal failure, respiratory paralysis, and death can occur.
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13. Adulterants and substituent
Substitutes: -
Hyoscyamus niger herb. - Hyoscyamus albus herb. - Datura strammonium herb. -
Atropa belladonna herb.
Adulterants: -
Exhausted Egyptian Hyoscyamus. - Deteriorated Egyptian Hyoscyamus.
Authentication:-
Egyptian Hyoscyamus contains not more than 45.0% of its stems, not exceeding 10
mm in diameter, and not more than 2.0% of foreign organic matter, and yields not less than 0.8%
of total alkaloids calculated as hyoscyamine. It should give positive test for alkaloids. It should be
free from ammoniacal odor, ash not more than 30.0%, and acid-insoluble ash not more than
15.0%. It should be stored in well-closed containers, in a cool dry place, protected from light.
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14. Uses
Henbane is used in traditional herbal medicine for ailments of the bones, rheumatism,
toothache, asthma, cough, nervous diseases, and stomach pain. It might also be used as
analgesic, sedative, and narcotic in some cultures.
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 Mydriatic
 Antispasmodic
 Antimuscarinic effect
 Antisialagogue
 Cerebral sedative
 Cough and bronchitis
Used in Mydriatic (dilation of the pupil). Antispasmodic (arrest the
involuntary muscular contraction). Antimuscarinic effect (acts peripherally to
produce parasympathetic inhibition). Antisialagogue (a drug that arrest the
flow of excess of saliva). Cerebral sedative (reduce excitement). Cough and
bronchitis ,The oil prepared from leaves and seed of henbane is useful as
anthelmintic, narcotic, stomachic and in inflammation and swellings.

15. o Medicinal Uses -
Antispasmodic due to arrest the involuntary muscular contraction:
a) Coronary dilator, ++++
b) Bronchial dilator ++++
c) Ureteral dilator++++
d) Antiviral
o Traditional Uses -
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The medicinal uses of Henbane date from remote ages; it was well known to the Ancients, being particularly
commended by Dioscorides (first century A.D.), who used it to procure sleep and allay pains, and Celsus
(same period) and others made use of it for the same purpose, internally and externally, though Pliny
declared it to be 'of the nature of wine and therefore offensive to the understanding.' There is mention of it in
a work by Benedictus Crispus (A.D. 681) under the names of Hyoscyamus and Symphonica. In the tenth
century, we again find its virtues recorded under the name of Jusquiasmus (the modern French name
is Jusquiame). There is frequent mention made of it in AngloSaxon works on medicine of the eleventh
century, in which it is named 'Henbell,' and in the old glossaries of those days it also appears as Caniculata,
Cassilago and Deus Caballinus.
Later it fell into disuse. It was omitted from the London Pharmacopoeia of 1746 and 1788, and only restored
in 1809, its re-introduction being chiefly due to experiments and recommendations by Baron Storch, who
gave it in the form of an extract, in cases of epilepsy and other nervous and convulsive diseases.

16.  Marketed Formulation
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Kamlesh Singh Bora 4th year.
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