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Aconitum napellus L. (Ranunculaceae)

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Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants

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Abstract

An herbaceous flowering perennial plant, was used in ancient times on spears and arrows for hunting and battle, as it contains several poisonous alkaloids, including cardiac poison, and during ancient Roman period was also often used to eliminate criminals and enemies. Aconitum grows upon steep rocks, hence the name; napellus means little turnip, the shape of the root. The root is regarded by Unani physicians beneficial for black bile and phlegmatic diseases, nerve tonic, anesthetic and antifebrile; and used in diseases like pneumonia, pleurisy, and topically used for sciatica and migraine headaches. Aconitum was classified by Charaka in Charakasamhita as lekhaneyagana, which means it reduces excess fat, and the subterranean part is used for the treatment of nervous system disorders, fever, diarrhea, and obesity. Aconitum species have also been used in traditional Chinese medicine for 2000 years for weak constitution, poor metabolism, dysuria, cardiac weakness, gout, rheumatism in the limbs, neuralgia and chills, for analgesia, as antirheumatic and for neurological indications. It contains highly toxic alkaloids which are structurally classified as C18-, C19-, and C20-diterpenoid alkaloids. Among the C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, aconitine, jesaconitine, mesaconitine, and hypaconitine are highly toxic. These diester diterpene alkaloids are mainly responsible for the toxicity of Aconitum species, which mainly affect the CNS, muscle tissues and heart with malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Aconitine is a potent neurotoxin that opens tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels, and increases sodium influx through these channels and delays repolarization. It is always used internally after a purification (detoxification) process. All Indian and Chinese detoxification procedures convert toxic diester diterpenoid alkaloids to relatively safer monoester diterpenoid alkaloids. Pharmacologically, Aconitum species are reported to possess antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and immunostimulant properties.

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  1. Stockton, CA, USA

    Shahid Akbar

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Akbar, S. (2020). Aconitum napellus L. (Ranunculaceae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_9

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