How toxic is the angel’s trumpet? Danger to children and pets

The angel’s trumpet is poisonous and should therefore be recognized in order to exercise appropriate caution when handling the plant. Typical features can be clearly identified. These include:

• Type of growth: shrubby
• Growth height of up to five meters
• ovate leaves with a wavy edge
• about 20 to 30 centimeters long flowers
• Flowers have a bell shape and are accordingly open at the bottom
• Possible flower colors: white, red-yellow, yellow, red, orange-yellow, pink-white, salmon-colored, blue-violet
• blooms from August to October

Poisonous plant parts

The Brugmansia has no parts of the plant that are not poisonous. The Indios use various parts of the plant to get into a state of intoxication. Since a certain dose is necessary for this and this is difficult to estimate, life-threatening symptoms of poisoning can quickly occur, which have already cost many one’s life.

Degree of toxicity

In principle, the poison can be very high in all parts of the plant and endanger health. Whether in the leaves, stems, roots or flowers and seeds, the more poison that gets into the bloodstream, the higher the risk of serious damage to health. But the highest level of toxicity is found in the roots and seeds.
The poison concentration is sometimes so high that even the scent of angel’s trumpets has a narcotic effect and can have other health consequences. For this reason, we strongly advise against placing the nightshade plant in closed, inhabited rooms.
Containing poisonous substances

• Atropine
• Scopolamine
• L-Hyoscyamin
• Ester

Atropine

Atropine is an ingredient in angel’s trumpets and is one of the most poisonous plant substances. This is a tropane alkaloid that some plants, such as Brugmansia, form naturally.

Effect 
The toxin inhibits various body processes. These include the so-called muscarinic receptors. When atropine minimizes its function, it can cause a reduction in heart function and slow contractions of smooth muscle organs such as the bronchi, urinary bladder, and gastrointestinal tract. The effect is usually quick. How strong the effect will be depends on the dose.

Scopolamine

Scopolamine is also a highly toxic tropane alkaloid, which makes up 80 percent of the total toxicity of an angel’s trumpet. The toxin occurs only in nightshade plants. This also ensures the inhibition of various processes, such as the muscarinic receptors.

Effect
The toxin mainly affects the brain and triggers apathetic states as well as calming properties. Angel’s trumpets are often used as an intoxicant, primarily because of this effect of scopolamine. In combination with atropine, scopolamine is mainly responsible for fatal consequences after ingestion of parts of plants.

L-Hyoscyamin

Another tropane alkaloid can be found in the angel’s trumpet with L-hyoscyamine. This ingredient blocks certain brain receptors that are responsible, among other things, for muscle functions.

Effect
After taking L-hyoscyamine, a narcotic state occurs. At the same time it creates an exciting state and creates euphoria. Atropine and scopolamine intensify the effect and the risk of health problems increases immensely.

Ester

Ester is also one of the tropane alkaloids. Together with all the poisonous substances already mentioned, it is mainly found in the roots and seeds of angel trumpets. The composition of the poisons ensures the highest degree of toxicity in these parts of the plant.

Effect
The effect is shown in increased efficiency, as described for the previously mentioned poisonous substances.

Dose dangerous to health

Even small doses can, depending on age and physical condition, lead to symptoms of intoxication.
The lethal dose in adults is 453 milligrams if poison is absorbed through the leaves, flowers and / or stems. In children, a lethal effect can already occur at 10 milligrams.

Because the toxin concentration in the roots and seeds is significantly higher than in other parts of the plant, as little as 0.3 grams can lead to death in adults. An even lower dose is sufficient to cause life-threatening consequences in children and adolescents. In babies and toddlers under three years of age, touching the roots and eating a single seed is enough to seriously endanger life.
It should be noted that it is not absolutely necessary to consume poisonous parts of the plant in order to trigger symptoms of poisoning. The poison can also get into the body by simply touching the flowers or leaves and subsequent finger-mouth contact or finger-eye contact.

Symptoms of poisoning in adults and children

Symptoms after inhalation of the poison

• a headache
• nausea
• Vomit
• dizziness
• Apathetic state

Symptoms after skin contact

• Dehydration of mucous membranes
• Reddening of the mucous membranes
• Skin irritation with redness and / or heat generation
• Burning pain in regions of the mucous membrane

Symptoms after consumed parts of the plant

• increased lacrimation
• nausea
• Vomit
• diarrhea
• fever
• Difficulty breathing
• Visual disturbances
• Thinking disorders with acute confusion
• increased feeling of thirst
• Inner unrest
• State of intoxication
• Hallucinations
• Impaired consciousness
• Muscle cramps
• Muscle weakness
• strong excitability possibly associated with sudden outbursts of anger
• dilate pupils that do not respond to light
• Cardiac arrhythmias with possible fatal consequences
• Cardiac arrest with possible death
• Respiratory failure with possible fatal consequences

Angel Trumpet and Pets

Brugmansia is also poisonous for pets. While cats like to nibble on flowers and in this way can ingest the poison, in dogs the urge to play is more likely to arouse the urge to play with appropriate biting, because they do not like the scent of the flowers. Rodents avoid the angel’s trumpet. As a rule, birds do not survive eating even the smallest parts of plants.

In any case, cats and dogs can become poisoned within a few seconds. The symptoms are usually similar to those seen in humans. The following first symptoms of intoxication occur most frequently, which precede a possible cardiovascular or respiratory arrest:

• severe vomiting
• heavy breathing due to shortness of breath
• diarrhea
• Muscle cramps, which can also affect the stomach and intestines (dogs and cats usually show this through hunched positions, sensitivity to pressure in the upper abdomen, as well as licking and yowling
• sometimes severe tremor
• Balance disorders
• Visual disturbances
• Affected increased salivation (foam formation on the mouth)
• dilated pupils
• apathetic behavior
• restless walking around

First aid

If there is poisoning or if there is a suspicion, the first thing to do is to keep calm!
If there is any suspicion, the poisoning information center should be called. Professional instructions on how to proceed are available here.
If consumption is certain, the following first aid measures can avert possible serious health consequences:

• dial the emergency number immediately for babies and children
• for dogs and cats call the veterinarian immediately
• Never induce vomiting and especially not in children and pets if parts of the plant have been swallowed (danger of suffocation)
• Forcing vomiting is only helpful if no parts of the plant have been swallowed (give salt water)
• drink plenty of water (never drink milk, as this moves the poison into the bloodstream more quickly)
• Swallow charcoal tablets – these bind the poison in the gastrointestinal tract so that it does not / only slightly enters the bloodstream
• Observe breathing and, if necessary, lay the person on their side in a stable position
• Do not leave the pet or person alone

Conclusion
The angel’s trumpet is extremely poisonous. In the worst case, eating parts of plants or coming into contact with the mouth can lead to death. In children and pets, a minimal dose is sufficient for a life-threatening situation. For this reason, a Brugmansia should always stand in such a way that children and pets cannot reach it. Careful, attentive handling significantly reduces the risk of possible poisoning in adults.