Phytochemical and microscopical analysis of Hyoscyamus albus

Abstract

Man has found either by accident or method of trial and error, since early times, during his tireless quest for food, that certain wild plants help to alleviate some of his sufferings from diseases and injuries. One of such plant is Hyoscyamus albus Scientific Classification: Family: Solanaceae Genus: Hyoscyamus Species: albus Common Name: Henbane, White Henbane, Russian Henbane, Jusquiame (France), Mammazejzy, (Maltese), Henbel, (Anglo-Saxon). Parts Used: Fresh Leaves, Flowering Tops, Branches and Seeds. Habitat: Native of the Mediterranean region; found also in Russia and the south of Europe. (1) The plant grows abundantly in arid places, Malta, Gazo and Comino (2) and in disturbed habitats, especially rubble, old walls and fortifications (3). It is therefore a plant that occurs frequently in waste, sandy places, by roadsides, on rubbish heaps, near old buildings, on chalky grounds and particularly near the sea. The plant can easily be distinguished from the other species of hyoscyamus by the bracts, as well as the leaves being all stalked and by the pale yellow colour of the flowers (1). The plant is a biennial herb, sometimes annual or perennial, erect, branched densely and flowers all year round, with flowers generally pale yellow with brown centre. The leaves are greyish with soft hairs and all petiolate, corolla without purple veins but sometimes with purplish throat (3).