Alkaloidal and Non-alkaloidal Secondary Metabolites of Hyoscyamus niger

Plants belonging to Solanaceae family are well known for their alkaloidal and non-alkaloidal secondary metabolites. Alkaloids display an exceptionally wide array of biological activities and have an equally wide distribution, being present in plants, fungi, bacteria, amphibia, insects, marine animals and man. Plants and fungi are rich in these natural products. The objective of the present study is to review the existence of various bioactive alkaloidal and non-alkaloidal secondary metabolites of seeds of the medicinal plant, Hyoscyamus niger. The main alkaloidal constituents of H. niger are hyoscyamin and scopolamine and non-alkaloidal are include: lignans, coumarinolignans, withanolides,lignanamides, glycerides, saponins, flavonoids and its glycosides. The H. niger seeds are found to possess antimicrobial, antidiarrhoeal, antispasmodic, hypotensive, anticonvulsant, antiinfiammatoty, analgesic and antipyretic activities

Keywords:

alkaloid , biological activity , Hyoscyamus niger , non-alkaloids