Black nightshade belongs to the nightshade family, which can be found worldwide. In folklore, the plant is used for rheumatism, fever, stomach cramps and eczema.
Occurrence and cultivation of black nightshade
In folk medicine, the herb, which is collected or dried during the flowering period, is used for bladder and stomach cramps and whooping cough. Black nightshade grows up to 70 centimeters high and is a herbaceous plant. The plant parts are felt-like hairy, the leaves are dark green in color and lance-shaped or egg-shaped. Black nightshade flowers from June to October, with inflorescences on the middle or upper leaves. The flower stalks are between 14 and 28 millimeters long, and the flowers themselves consist of a bell-shaped calyx and five white petals. The fruits of the plant are berries about six millimeters in size, which have two chambers and contain up to 60 seeds. At night, the plant’s flower emits a very intense fragrance that can cause headaches. Black nightshade contains solanine, solamargin, solasonine and chaconine, respectively. Solanine is a chemical compound that is slightly toxic and is found mainly in solanaceous plants. The concentration depends on the soil type and climate and varies relatively strongly. The plant species is widespread throughout Europe, India, Australia, North America, New Zealand and in large parts of Africa and grows mainly on nutrient-rich soils. The plant can be found on embankments, roadsides or as a garden weed. Black nightshade can adapt very well to different environmental conditions, but does not survive long periods of drought. In addition, the plant is not frost tolerant, the best conditions for its growth are temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees. If the temperatures are lower or higher, the growth of black nightshade is severely limited. The plant was already mentioned in the first century by the scholar Pliny the Elder, the first botanical description comes from Carl von Linné, who mentions six different forms in his work “Species Plantarum”. Dioscorides recommends the juice of black nightshade for creeping ulcers and earache. The scientific name “Solanum” comes from Latin and means something like “soothing” or “comfort”, since the plant was mainly used to soothe pain. The German name comes from the word “Nachtschaden”, which had the meaning “nightmare in the Middle Ages”, because of the intoxicating effect of the plant, people wanted to drive away the “night damage”.
Effect and application
The leaves of black nightshade are used as a vegetable similar to spinach. However, when preparing it, the cooking water must be changed a few times to avoid poisoning. In Malawi, the plant is consumed with the addition of salt, peanut butter, sodium carbonate, and vegetable potash, respectively. Especially in Russia, China, India, North America and parts of Africa, the ripe fruits are also eaten. In folk medicine, the herb, which is collected or dried during the flowering period, is used to treat bladder and stomach cramps and whooping cough. Externally, black nightshade is used for itching, eczema, hemorrhoids, abscesses and bruises. African folk medicine also believes that children who eat the leaves of the plant will be spared from illness. However, since black nightshade contains alkaloids, poisoning has been reported time and again. Alkaloids are found primarily in the immature fruits and can cause symptoms of poisoning. However, the plant occurs in different clans, which also have different alkaloid content. Thus, there are also differences in their toxicity. Some clans contain no toxins at all and were therefore consumed like lettuce in the past. Symptoms of poisoning include diarrhea, vomiting, increased heart rate and breathing difficulties. In addition, cramps, anxiety and paralysis may occur. In this case, gastric lavage or the intake of activated charcoal is required. Anticholines are also administered in cases of severe poisoning.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
Black nightshade used to be used in folk medicine against rheumatism, gout and fever. In addition, it was also used as a laxative. For this purpose, the diluted fresh juice of the plant is used or the fresh berries are eaten. However, if the black nightshade is dried, these active ingredients are lost. When used externally, the plant helps with various skin diseases, and here especially the solanine promotes the healing process of the skin. Many farmers also often drank nightshade tea in the morning as a spring cure or to purify the blood. In newer herbal books the black nightshade is very often listed only as a poisonous plant, but in older books its use for various diseases is mentioned. In homeopathy, the freshly flowering plant is also used for headaches, dizziness, and also for diseases of the central nervous system. Moreover, homeopathy uses the plant very successfully in ergot poisoning, it also shows a significant effect in restlessness, irritation or meningitis. In the Middle Ages, black nightshade was mainly an ingredient of witches’ ointments and is still partly used in various magical rites. Magicians and shamans were also aware of the intoxicating effect of the plant and made incense powder from the nightshade plant, which they then used to put themselves into a trance. Witches, on the other hand, used black nightshade for the so-called flying ointment, which, in addition to black nightshade, also contained henbane, belladonna, hellebore, spotted hemlock and aconite. In Ayurvedic medicine, the plant is usually used in combination with yarrow, senna and chicory as a remedy for the liver.
