Ethnobotanical investigations on anticholinergic Solanaceae plants in Europe : doctoral dissertation

Fatur, Karsten (author), Kreft, Samo (mentor)

The current research focused on the ethnobotanical uses and context of the anticholinergic members of the botanical family Solanaceae in Europe by using a range of methods such as historical analysis, literature review, ethnographic techniques, HPLC, and botanical sampling. Though the research showed a high degree of knowledge and use for these plants in the past populations of Europe, this has petered away with time. The ethnographic research focused in Slovenia showed very little knowledge of these plants and even less use. HPLC verified the ability of different traditional preparation methods to extract alkaloids from these plants, thus validating aspects of the historical literature. These same techniques combined with plant sampling suggested that Slovenia's endemic Scopolia carniolica var. hladnikiana falls within the normal variation for the species and confirmed its ethnobotanical equivalence to the more common variety. The toxicity of these plants is well-confirmed, and a theory is put forth for the use of one of them among the ancient Viking berserkers to enter their rage state in battle.

• Language: English
• Keywords: ethnobotany, Solanaceae, anticholinergic alkaloids, Europe, Slovenia
• Work type: Doctoral dissertation
• Typology: 2.08 - Doctoral Dissertation
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-127679
• COBISS.SI-ID: 68678659
• Publication date in RUL: 19.06.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Etnobotanične raziskave antiholinergičnih rastlin iz družine Solanaceae v Evropi : doktorska disertacija

Abstract

Ta raziskava se je osredotočila na etnobotanično uporabo in kontekst antiholinergičnih članov botanične družine Solanaceae v Evropi z uporabo različnih metod, kot so zgodovinske analize, pregled literature, etnografske tehnike, HPLC in botanično vzorčenje. Čeprav so raziskave pokazale visoko stopnjo znanja in uporabe teh rastlin v preteklih populacijah Evrope, je to sčasoma izginilo. V Sloveniji usmerjena etnografska raziskava je pokazala zelo malo znanja o teh rastlinah in še manj uporabe. HPLC je preveril sposobnost različnih tradicionalnih metod priprave za pridobivanje alkaloidov iz teh rastlin in tako potrdil vidike zgodovinske literature. Te iste tehnike v kombinaciji z vzorčenjem rastlin nakazujejo, da je slovenska endemična Scopolia carniolica var. hladnikiana spada med običajne razlike za vrsto in je potrdil svojo etnobotanično enakovrednost pogostejši sorti. Toksičnost teh rastlin je dobro potrjena in postavljena je teorija o uporabi ene izmed njih med starodavnimi vikinškimi berserkerji za vstop v svoje besno stanje v bitki.

• Keywords: etnobotanika, razhudnikovke, antiholigernični alkaloidi, Evropa, Slovenija