Aconite or wolfsbane: the most toxic plant in Europe

The monkshood, also known as wolvesbane or tora blava, is a tall herbaceous plant up to 1 meter, which develops blue, purple, white or yellow flowers. There are different types of monkshood, with more than 300 different species, but some of the best known are:

• Common monkshood, blue anapelo or blue tora: Aconitum napellus
• Luparia: Aconitum luparia
• Jarava Anapele: Aconitum lycoctonum
• Alpine Monkshood: Aconitum antora
• Variegated monkshood: Aconitum variegatum

They are native to Eurasia, with particular species for different areas, but always in the northern hemisphere, and associated with mountains. This plant thrives in moist, well-drained soils, typically found in woodland environments and alpine meadows.

It is important to know how to identify this plant to avoid accidents. One of the plants with which it is confused is with angelica, used for salads with the scientific name Angelica razulii, and with wild celery, so we present this mini guide so that you avoid making a mistake and touching or consuming it:

• It has five sepals, with the upper one climbing up the hood-shaped petals. In fact, the color in the inflorescences is in these modified sepals that look like large petals. Therefore, the part of the plant that has color are the sepals and the flowers are small and are inside these.
• Under the sepals is the main part of the flower, there are 2 to 10 petals and inside them the dark stamens.
• The leaves are palmate with slender lobes, similar to celery leaves, but much more branched.
• The flowers appear from a floral stem, in the terminal part, like a floral spike.
• Monkshood flower isn't always the popular color blue or purple, so don't rely on color alone to identify it. Remember that there are also white or yellow ones.
• It grows in basal rosettes like angelica, but the latter produces white flowers in umbels, not arranged in clusters. They can be confused by their leaves, but those of the monkshood are thinner and more branched than those of the angelica.
• Additionally, monkshood’s stem is typically hairless and smooth, distinguishing it further from other similar-looking plants.

Monkshood is an extremely dangerous plant, it is even considered by many to be the most poisonous plant in Europe.

The venom is made up of several diterpenoid alkaloids, but the main one is aconitine, which acts on the nervous system. Other alkaloids it contains are mesaconitin, napelin and hypaconitin. Specifically, what happens is that aconitine binds to the alpha subunit of sodium channels at the cellular level, causing its inactivation and keeping it always open, causing the body to stop working.

The venom acts internally, but also by touch and is quickly absorbed through the mucous membranes. The toxicity of monkshood is extremely high, with a series of symptoms. Consumption and manipulation, including rubbing, should be avoided. Moreover, even small amounts can be fatal, underscoring the plant's potency and the need for extreme caution.

When absorbed through the skin or when ingesting monkshood, the effects of the venom will cause dizziness, vomiting, a low pulse, and blue skin on the hands and feet. 2 milligrams of this plant cause heart poisoning, and 5 milligrams are already lethal.

Treatment should always be carried out by specialists, so if this plant was taken and the symptoms begin to be felt , the emergency number in the area should be called immediately, depending on where we are on the mountain, a doctor may be necessary. rescue, and it is necessary to go as soon as possible to a medical emergency and an Intensive Care Unit. There is no antidote, so the treatment is aimed at treating the symptoms and washing the stomach. The first 24 hours are decisive on whether the patient will survive or not. It should be noted that supportive measures such as respiratory assistance and cardiovascular support might be required, depending on the severity of the poisoning.

Monkshood has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for over 4,000 years, as well as in Indian and Japanese medicine, and is now increasing in popularity in Europe. As the famous phrase of Paracelsus says "Everything is poison and nothing is poison, only the dose makes the poison".

Toxic or poisonous substances can be used for their therapeutic properties, but the plant must be processed into less toxic derivatives, and in fact these are the only ones allowed for consumption by the Chinese Administration of Medical Products, so that they do not exceed 0.15% of alkaloids. The root, which contains high alkaloid content, is used for the following properties:

• painkillers
• antiarthritic
• antirheumatic
• Against gastroenteritis
• antidiarrheal
• antiasthmatic
• Endocrine system regulators

For therapeutic purposes, the plant dose is 0.25 milligrams. Aconitine, a highly toxic alkaloid obtained from monkshood, is even used for many medicines in Western medicine to treat arrhythmia and facial neuralgia. On the other hand, napelin is used in detoxification treatments for morphine addicts, supplied in injections.

Despite the great properties that the aconite root has, it should never be used on its own, it should not be self-medicated, nor as a natural remedy, because only experts with years of experience using this plant, and processing it in less toxic formats, can use and prescribe it safely, because the risk of taking it is quite high. Whenever possible, it is preferable to use other safer alternatives for the aforementioned purposes. Additionally, ongoing research continues to explore new potential uses of aconite, ensuring safety and efficacy for future medicinal applications.

Now that you have learned more about the aconite or wolverine, we recommend that you continue to inform yourself about toxic or poisonous plants, so that you can recognize and avoid them when you see them. Here we tell you which are the most poisonous plants in the world and toxic and dangerous succulent plants.

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