Question

Belladonna is obtained from
(a) Atropa
(b) Hyoscyamus
(c) Calendula
(d) Aconitum

Answer 1

Hint: The plant from which belladonna is obtained belongs to the same plant family in which tomatoes, potatoes, etc. are included and the parent plant of Belladonna is also known as deadly nightshade.

Complete answer:
Belladonna is obtained from the plant Atropa Belladonna which is a poisonous perennial herbaceous plant and also known with the name deadly nightshade. It is obtained from the flowering or fruiting tops, dried leaves, and roots of the plant that contain two alkaloids, hyoscine and hyoscyamine, out of which the hyoscyamine is the source of atropine. The diagram of a belladonna plant has been given below –

Additional information:
Even though it is poisonous, Belladonna has been being used by human beings from very earlier times. For example, in Italy, the berry juice of belladonna was being used to enlarge the pupils of women so that they can appear more attractive. It is often taken by mouth as a sedative to reduce the bronchial spasms that occur in asthma-like diseases. It has also been used in some diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s disease, motion sickness, etc. For a long time, Belladonna has been used as a component in the medicines that are applied to the skin to reduce the pain in joints.

So, the correct answer is option A, ‘Atropa’.

Note: In the nightshade family, Atropa is a genus of plants that includes herbaceous perennial plants with relatively large leaves. These plants bear glossy berries that have been found dangerous particularly to the children because they appear attractive like cherries so children often approach them but these are too toxic.