atropiny

Atropiny is a naturally occurring tropane alkaloid that can be extracted from plants such as deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), and mandrake (Mandragora officinarum). It is a racemic mixture of D- and L-hyoscyamine. Chemically, it is an ester of tropic acid and tropine. Atropiny acts as an anticholinergic agent, primarily by blocking the action of acetylcholine at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Pharmacologically, atropiny has a wide range of effects on the body. It can dilate pupils (mydriasis), increase heart rate (tachycardia), reduce secretions such as saliva and sweat, relax smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts, and affect the central nervous system. In medicine, atropiny has been used to treat bradycardia (slow heart rate), as an antidote for organophosphate poisoning and certain mushroom poisonings, to reduce secretions before surgery, and in ophthalmology to dilate pupils for eye examinations.

However, atropiny also has significant side effects. These can include dry mouth, blurred vision, difficulty urinating, constipation, confusion, hallucinations, and delirium, especially at higher doses. Due to its potential for toxicity and side effects, its use is carefully controlled and monitored by healthcare professionals. The lethal dose varies, but overdose can be dangerous. Its historical uses were often more widespread, but modern medicine has refined its applications.