Angel's trumpets, with their magnificent blossoms, earn a lot of admiration from everyone. Like many other ornamental beauties, you shouldn't let yourself be blinded too much - because the nightshade plant is highly poisonous.
Like all nightshade plants, the beautiful angel's trumpet is poisonous
How poisonous is the angel's trumpet?
The angel's trumpet belongs to the nightshade family, which are generally poisonous in one way or another. Like most species of its family, the angel's trumpet contains many alkaloids, most notably scopolamine, hyoscyamine and atropine. These substances ensure that all parts of the plant are highly toxic. The roots and seeds are the most toxic. However, it is important to know that the toxins are often largely eradicated in today's cultivated forms.
- Angel's Trumpet Toxins: Alkaloids
- All parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the roots and seeds
- Cultivated varieties partly less toxic
Dangerous doses
In the case of unbred species, however, the scent of the flowers, which is already a warning signal due to its severity, can cause slight symptoms of poisoning. These manifest themselves in slightly numbing effects, headaches and possibly even nausea with vomiting.
However, it only becomes really dangerous when plant parts of the angel's trumpet are eaten. A dose of about 0.3 g is already considered risky. The effect only becomes apparent about 2-4 hours after ingestion and manifests itself in severe skin irritation and increased temperature, nausea and vomiting, restlessness and confusion, blurred vision, increased pulse rate and severe thirst. Higher doses can also cause convulsions, extreme excitement, and fits of rage.
measures
If an overly curious admirer or a small child has picked up something of the angel's trumpet, countermeasures must be taken as soon as possible. If medicinal charcoal is available, it should be administered immediately - it binds the poison and flushes it out of the body. However, through the natural reaction of vomiting, the body tries to get rid of the poison itself.
You should also call an ambulance or contact the Poison Control Center right away. Check the patient's vital bodily functions continuously until help arrives.