Nightshade black

Solanum nigrum L.

Botanical characteristics. The family is Solanaceous. Annual herbaceous plant up to 1 m high. Stem straight, branched. Leaves ovate, petiolate. Blossoms in July-August with small white flowers. Fruits - black round berries, ripen in August-September.

Spread. It occurs in most parts of the country. It grows along the banks of reservoirs, near roads, in fields, like weeds in gardens and orchards.

Used parts of the plant. Mature fruits and young leafy shoots.
The fruits of nightshade contain a fairly large amount of ascorbic acid (353.2 mg%), as well as a poisonous glycoalkaloid - solanine. In the leaves there are ascorbic acid (815 mg%), steroid saponins, carotene, citric acid.

Application. Has a calming effect on the nervous system, as well as pronounced cholinergic, hypotensive and local anesthetic action.
It is used for hypertension and atherosclerosis, with headaches, neuroses, epilepsy, hysteria, gouty and rheumatic pains, with colic in the stomach and intestines.
Drugs nightshade recommended for fevers and colds, with earaches, diarrhea, with pyelitis, cystitis and dysmenorrhea.
Bulgarian folk medicine herbs are black nightshade, along with nightshade is sweet-bitter, it is recommended for whooping cough, spastic cough and bronchial asthma. "Kashitsa of fresh leaves and black nightshade fruits, mixed with vegetable oil, is recommended by folk medicine for application to suppurating wounds; In a welded form used as a poultice for a faster breakthrough of the scales. Decoction is prescribed for rinsing the mouth and against pustules on the gums "(BD Yordanov, BP Nikolov, A. Boychinov).

Contraindications. The use of unripe fruits can cause poisoning. Leaves and ripe fruits of the nightshade should also be taken with caution, children are not prescribed.

Preparation. 1 teaspoon crushed raw materials (3 g) boil in a glass of water for 10-15 minutes over low heat: Decoction take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
The powder is padded internally applied at the tip of the knife (0.1 g) 3 times a day for 20-40 minutes before meals. The course of treatment is nightshade 10-14 days.
N.G. Kovaleva recommends mature black nightshade fruits for consumption in patients with hypertensive disease and atherosclerosis at 5-6 g per day under the supervision of a doctor.