Abstract

Plant intoxication constitutes an issue of great interest in the literature, concerning both human and animal poisoning. Different herbs may produce multiple effects from human organ systems, depending on specific ingredients and metabolites that they contain. These effects may vary from gastroenteritis, hepatotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, psychosis, rhabdomyolysis and blood count abnormalities to cardiotoxicity and multisystemic organ failure.[1,2] The ingestion of particular plants may induce an anticholinergic syndrome which is caused by their alkaloid metabolites (Table 1). This consists of typical clinical manifestations including altered mental status, hallucinations, mydriasis and tachycardia.[3] The class of plants that cause anticholinergic manifestations includes those that belong to the Solanaceae family, with Atropa Belladona and Datura Stramonium being the most common among them.

Authors and Affiliations