This includes the detailed study of plants having hallucinogenic effect

1. HALLUCINOGENS OR
HALLUCINOGENIC
PLANTS
Prepared By:
Sujata
Assistant Professor

2. • Hallucinogens are natural and synthetic
(synthesized) substances that, when ingested
(taken into the body), significantly alter one’s state
of consciousness.
• Hallucinogenic compounds often cause people to
see (or think they see) random colours, patterns,
events and objects that do not exist.
• Many types of substances are classified as
hallucinogens, solely because of their capacity to
produce such hallucinations. These substances are
sometimes called ‘psychedelic’, or ‘mind-
expanding’

3. • A few hallucinogens have been used in
medicine to treat certain disorders, but they
must be given under controlled circumstances.
• The real danger of hallucinogens is not their
toxicity (poison level), The actual causes of
such hallucinations are chemical substances in
the plants. These substances are true narcotics

4. MEDICAL USES OF HALLUCINOGENS:
• Hallucinogens have been studied for possible
medical uses, including the treatment of some
forms of mental illness, alcoholism and
addiction to the drug opium.
• A synthetic form of the active chemical in
marijuana, Tetra hydro cannabinol (THC) has
been approved for prescription use by cancer
patients, who suffer from severe nausea after
receiving chemotherapy (treating cancer with
drugs). THC is also used to reduce

5. • eye pressure in treating severe cases of glaucoma.
• Phencyclidine (PCP) is occasionally used by
veterinarians as an anesthetic and sedative for
animals
• Some of the important plant hallucinogens are as
follows:
1. Belladonna (Atropa belladonna)
2. Betel Nut (Areca catechu)
3. Donana ( Coryphantha macromeris)
4. Henbane
5. Datura (Datura species)
6. Marijhuana (Bhang)

6. BELLADONNA

7. • Synonyms: Nightshade leaves
• Biological source: It consists of dried leaves and
flowering tops of Atropa belladonna family
Solanaceae.
• Geographical source:
1. India ( Shimla, areas of himachal Pradesh and
western Himalayas).
2. Europe and Asia.

8. Macroscopy:
1. Colour-
• leaves: dull green or yellowish green. Upper
side is more darken than lower.
• Fruits: green to brown
• Flowers: purple to yellowish brown
2. Odour- slight characteristic
3. Taste- bitter and acrid

9. • CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Atropine,
Hyoscyamine, Atropamine, Belladonnine and
Hyoscine.

10. MEDICINAL USES:
1. Antispasmodic (Reduce spasm in case of intestinal
gripping)
2. Anti-asthmetic (smooth muscle relaxant)
3. Sedative
4. Anti-cholinergic
5. Used as anti-dote in opium and chloral hydrate
poisoining.
6. Used as gastric and duodenal ulcer
7. Mydriatic (which dilate the pupil of eye)
8. Atropine along with morphine injection is used as
pre-anaesthetic medication

11. BETEL NUT/ARECA NUT

12. Synonyms: supari
Biological source: It consists of dried ripe seeds of Areca
catechu belongs to family Palmaceae.
Gerographical source: Asia, East Africa, India and Shri
lanka.
Macroscopy: It is a droope type (single seeded) fruit.
Seeds are conical shaped with flattened base.
Colour: Brownish
Taste: astringent

13. CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS:
• guacine and guvacoline (responsible for
vasocontrictive property)
• arecaidine arecolidine,
• arecaine and arecoline (main active constituents)

14. MEDICINAL USES:
• 1. Aromatic and astringent
• 2. Sialagogue (increase salivary secretions)
• 3. Anthelmintic
• 4. Used in urinary disorders.
• 5. Stimulant, stroke recovery, schizophrenia,
anaemia, dental cavities.
• 6. It is also used as alcoholism, aphrodisiac,
appetite stimulant, asthma, cough, digestive
aid, diphtheria and as diuretic.

15. DONANA

16. • Biological source: Coryphantha macromeris
family (Cactaceae).
• Geographical source: It is native to Mexico and
West Texas.
• Macroscopy: A low, cylindrical cactus to 8-
inch-tall branching at the base, covered with
several inch long, soft, spine-tipped tubercles.
The flowers are purple, 5 inches across.

17. Chemical Constituents:
1. It contains macromerine, normacromerine
(main active constituents).
2. It also contains phenethylamines,
normacromerine (N-methyl-3- ,4-dimethoxy-
beta-hydroxyphenethylamine) abundantly.
• Medicinal Uses: It is a strong narcotic or
hallucinogenic drug.

18. HENBANE

19. HENBANE
Synonyms: Poison tobacco
• Biological source: It consists of dried leaves and
flowering tops of Hyoscymus niger family
Solanaceae.
• Geographical source: India, Europe, Germany and
Russia.
• Macroscopy:
• Colour- greyish green
• Odour: strong
• Taste: slightly acrid and bitter

20. Chemical Constituents: The main constituents are
hyoscyamine, hyoscine, scopolamine and
hyoscipicrin.
• Medicinal Uses:
• 1. Expectorant
• 2. Antispasmodic and anti-asthmatic
• 3. Used along with purgative to prevent
gripping.
• 4. Sedative and mydriatic

21. DATURA

22. DATURA
• Synonyms: Devil’s apple
• Biological source: It consists of dried leaves and
flowering tops of Datura metel family Solanaceae.
• Geographical source: India and England
• Macroscopy:
• 1. It is an annual herb, 4–5 feet tall, with ovate 7-
to 8-inch leaves.
• 2. The flower is 7-inch long, white inside, violet
and yellowish outside.
• 3. The fruit is a 1.25 inch diameter spiny capsule.

23. Chemical Constituents:
• Atropine and l- hyoscyamine (in small quantity)
• 0.5 % of total alkaloids
• Hyoscine (main) (it is an ester of tropic acid and
tropine)

24. Medicinal Uses:
1. The whole plant, but especially the leaves and
seed, is anaesthetic, antiasthmatic,antispasmodic,
antitussive, bronchodilator, hallucinogenic,
hypnotic and mydriatic.
2. Used in cerebrum excitement
3. Hyoscine is used in motion sickness.

25. CANNABIS

26. CANNABIS
Synonyms: Indian hemp, Indian cannabis, hashish,
bhang, ganja, charas, Cannabis indica, marihuana.
Biological Source:Cannabis consists of dried flowering
tops of the plants of Cannabis sativa Linn., belonging
to family Cannabinaceae.
Geographical Source: Cannabis occurs in India,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Central America, United
States, East Africa, South Africa, and Asia Minor.

27. MORPHOLOGY
• Colour- dull green or greenish-brown
• bitter taste.

28. Chemical Constituents
The most important active constituents present
in cannabis are:
1. cannabidiol, cannabidolic acid, cannabinol,
cannabichromene.
2. Cannabis also contains Cannabidiolic acid,
cannabidiol, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

29. Uses
• Cannabis resin is tonic, sedative, analgesic,
intoxicant, stomachic, antispasmodic,
antianxiety, anticonvulsant, antitussive, and
narcotic. Cannabis causes only pshycic
dependence and act upon the nervous system.