Monkshood
[Aconitum napellus]
Toxicity
Symptoms
Symptoms: Abnormalities of blood pressure, bradycardia, burning of abdomen, burning of mouth, cardiac arrest, cardiac dysrhythmia, chest pain, circulatory collapse, coma, convulsions, darkened vision, diarrhea, dizziness, frothing of mouth, headache, hypotension, increased salivation, muscular weakness, nausea, numbness, palpitations, restlessness, shock, shortness of breath, stiffening of body, tingling skin, vomiting.
Duration of Symptoms: With treatment, 24 hours.
Rate of Poison: Hours
Causes Death: Yes, through asphyxia or cardiovascular problems.
Treatment: Anti-arrhythmic drugs, atropine, DC shock, digitalis, emetic, fluid replacement, inhaling ammonia, camphor, or sulfuric ether, hyperdermic injections of atropine or digitalin, respiratory support, strophanthin.
Back in the 19th century, monkshood was often mistaken for horseradish, whose roots are similar looking to that of monkshood. Even just ingesting a small amount could cause people to become sickened, or even die from the poison. Its main toxin, aconotine, was even used in Nazi Germany as poisonous bullets.
Photo: Danny S. - Wikimedia Commons
Main Toxin
Molecular structure of aconitine (ChemDraw).
Aconitine
Aconitine is a diterpene alkaloid that targets the sodium channel activators by stabilizing voltage-dependent sodium ion channels. These channels have an impact on the neurons and the cardiovascular system. By keeping the sodium channels open, an increase in the concentration of sodium ions causes constant depolarization of the heart, preventing the repolarization of the heart. This means that the heart will have improper beating patterns. Aconitine impacts heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) by targeting numerous pathways and causing cell death (apoptosis) of these cells. This is done by activating two pathways, NLRP3 and TNF-α. Apoptosis may also occur due to the fluctuation of calcium ion concentration, which increases the rate of apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. In addition, aconitine can also disrupt the neural transmission pathways. This causes abnormalities with movement and degeneration of neurons. As a result, toxicity with the heart and neurons are extremely common upon ingestion of plant. Eventually, this will cause the heart to eventually stop beating.
Level of Toxin: Not known
Impacting Dosage: 0.2 - 5.0 mg
Other Toxins and Chemical Components
Hypaconitine
Hypaconitine is an alkaloid that targets the HepG2 cell line by inhibiting the growth. If swallowed or inhaled, it could cause acute toxicity.
Level of Toxin: Not known
Impacting Dosage: 0.2 mg - 2 mg
Mesaconitine
Mesaconitine is a diterpene alkaloid that targets the HepG2 cell line by inhibiting the growth. Mesaconitine binds to voltage-dependent sodium channels causing the channels to remain open. This causes a delay with depolarization and early repolarization, causing problems with heartbeats.
Level of Toxin: Not known
Impacting Dosage: 0.2 mg - 2 mg
Oxonitine
Oxonitine is an alkaloid that targets the HepG2 cell line by inhibiting the growth.
Level of Toxin: Not known
Impacting Dosage: Not known
Anisine
Heteratisine
Jesaconitine
Neopelline
Atidine
Higenamine
Kobushine
Pseudokobusine
Coryneine
Hysognavine
Napelline
Songorine
Deoxyaconitine
Ignarine
Neoline
Telatisine
General Information
Parts of Plant: All parts, especially leaves and roots.
Contact Hazard: Poison may be transferred via contact with leaves.
Animals Affected: Cattle, goats, horses, rats, sheep
Notes: Roots may be mistaken for horseradish roots.
Medicinal Value
General Information
Parts of Plant: All parts
Properties: Analgesic, anesthetic, anodyne, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, diaphoretic, diuretic, febrifuge, immunomodulatory, sedative.
Components: Aconite, Lappaconitine
Antidote: Used to treat cancer
Preparation: Over-the-counter medicine
Historical Uses
Current Uses
Treatments
Appendicitis: Plant mixed with coix and patrinia.
Colds
Diarrhea
Gastroenteritis
Joint Pain
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Location
Ayruveda: Plant used to treat colds.
China: Root stocks used in traditional medicine. Plant undergoes hours of decoction before use.
Greece
India: Root stocks used in traditional medicine.
Japan: Root stocks used in traditional medicine.
Jingui Yaolue: Plant was used to treat appendicitis.
Rome
Claimed Treatments
Asthma
Cancer: Prevention/treatment of various cancers; breast, cervical, liver, lung, melanoma, ovarian, pancreatic.
Colds: Over-the-counter medicine
Croup
Fever: Aconitum napellus.
Gout: Aconitum napellus
Heart palpitations: Used as sedative
Laryngitis
Measles: Aconitum napellus.
Pain: Aconitum napellus used for pain from arthritis, neuralgia, and sciatica.
Pericarditis: Used as sedative
Pneumonia
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid Arthritis: Aconitum napellus.
Slow Heart Rate: Tincture applied to skin.
Location
China: Lappaconitine, from the Aconitum Sinomontanum, is used as an anesthetic
North America: Aconitum napellus may be used for fever, gout, measles, pain, and rheumatoid arthritis. ONLY IN SMALL DOSES>
Edibility
Parts of Plant: None known
Nutrients: None known
Taste: Not known
WARNING: !DO NOT CONSUME!
Historical Uses
Current Uses
Preparation Methods
None known
Preparation Methods
None known
General Facts
Plant Facts
Illustration of Monkshood by D. A. Wilkerson
Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
Genus: Aconitum
Other Names: Aconite, Blue Rocket, Conite, Devil's Helmet, Friar's Cap, Helmet Flower, Leopard's Bane, Soldier's Cap, Trainling Monkshood, Wild Monkshood, Wolfsbane, Women's Bane
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Bloom Colours: Yellow, Blue, Purple, Pink, White
Bloom Time: June - September
Type: Perennial
Height: 1 - 6 feet
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Habitat: Marshes, meadows, moist soils, open woods
Origin: Europe
States: IA, NY, OH, PE, VA, WV, WI
Provinces: ON
Related Species
Aconitum anthora
(Yellow Monkshood)
Photo: Meneerke bloem - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum cammarum
(Bicolor)
Photo: Danny S. - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum columbianum (Western Monkshood)
Photo: J. Schmidt - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum delphiniifolium (Alaskan Monkshood)
Photo: Zaereth - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum henryi
(Sparks Variety)
Photo: Rob Hille - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum heterophyllum
(Atis)
Photo: Vishnupersaud - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum luridum
(Blue Hooded Flower)
Photo: Mary Loosemore - Flickr
Aconitum lycoctonum
(Alpine Wolfsbane)
Photo: Nicolas Weghaupt - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum napellus
(Common Monkshood)
Photo: Patrice78500- Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum noveboracense (Northern Monkshood)
Photo: SEWilco - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum uncinatum
(Southern Blue Monkshood)
Photo: Dr. Thomas G. Barnes - Wikimedia Commons
Aconitum vulparia
(Fox Monkshood)
Photo: Manuel Matas - Wikimedia Commons
Other Species
Aconitum alatum
Aconitum bavaricum
Aconitum infectum
Aconitum kusnezoffii
Aconitum palmatum
Family Connection
Sources
Toxicity Section
AACC. (n.d.). Monkshood. From https://www.aacc.org/science-and-research/toxin-library/monkshood
Blount County Extension Master Gardeners. (2016) Dangers in the Garden - Part 1. From https://bcmgtn.wildapricot.org/Dangers-in-the-Garden-Part-1
CSU. (n.d.) Guide to Poisonous Plants. From https://csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/1
D'Mello, J.F. (Ed). (1997). Handbook of Plant and Fungal Toxicants. CRC Press. (pp.261).
Hao, D. C., Gu, X. J., & Xiao, P. G. (2015). Chemical and biological studies of Aconitum pharmaceutical resources. Medicinal Plants; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/hypaconitine
Li, S., Yu, L., Shi, Q., Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Wang, S., & Lai, X. (2022). An insight into current advances on pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and detoxification of aconitine. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 151, 113115. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332222005042?ref=cra_js_challenge&fr=RR-1
Li, X., Ou, X., Luo, G., Ou, X., Xie, Y., Ying, M., ... & Zhu, L. (2020). Mdr1a, Bcrp and Mrp2 regulate the efficacy and toxicity of mesaconitine and hypaconitine by altering their tissue accumulation and in vivo residence. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 409, 115332. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0041008X20304543
Maharjan, S., Parajuli, S. R., & Dhungana, D. (2022). Aconite Poisoning: A Case Report. Annapurna Journal of Health Sciences, 2(2), 43-46.
Muenscher, W. C. (1975). Poisonous Plants of the United States. Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc. (pp. 79-81).
National Center for Biotechnology Information (2023). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 245005, Aconitine. From https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Aconitine.
Nelson, L. S., Shih, R. D., Balick, M. J. (2007). Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants (2nd ed.). Springer. (pp. 32,62-63)
Poison Control. (n.d.). Aconitum napellus(Monkshood): A Purple Poison. From https://www.poison.org/articles/why-is-monkshood-considered-a-poison--174
Senthilkumaran, S., Meenakshisundaram, R., & Thirumalaikolundusubramanian, P. (2015). Plant toxins and the heart. In Heart and toxins (pp. 151-174). Academic Press. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/mesaconitine
Shoyama, Y., Nishioka, I., & Hatano, K. (1991). Aconitum spp.(Monkshood): Somatic embryogenesis, plant regeneration, and the production of aconitine and other alkaloids. In Medicinal and Aromatic Plants III (pp. 58-72). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. From https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-642-84071-5.pdf
Stewart, A. (2009). Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. (pp. 1-2).
The Friends of the Wild Flower Garden, Inc. (2015). Monkshood. From https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/monkshood.html
Medicinal Value Section
AACC. (n.d.). Monkshood. From https://www.aacc.org/science-and-research/toxin-library/monkshood
Blount County Extension Master Gardeners. (2016) Dangers in the Garden - Part 1. From https://bcmgtn.wildapricot.org/Dangers-in-the-Garden-Part-1
D'Mello, J.F. (Ed). (1997). Handbook of Plant and Fungal Toxicants. CRC Press. (pp.261).
Li, S., Yu, L., Shi, Q., Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Wang, S., & Lai, X. (2022). An insight into current advances on pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicity and detoxification of aconitine. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 151, 113115. From https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332222005042?ref=cra_js_challenge&fr=RR-1
Lust, J. (1974). The Herb Book. Benedict Lust Publishings. (pp 281).
Poison Control. (n.d.). Aconitum napellus(Monkshood): A Purple Poison. From https://www.poison.org/articles/why-is-monkshood-considered-a-poison--174
The Friends of the Wild Flower Garden, Inc. (2015). Monkshood. From https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/monkshood.html
Edibility Section
None
General Facts Section
Blount County Extension Master Gardeners. (2016) Dangers in the Garden - Part 1. From https://bcmgtn.wildapricot.org/Dangers-in-the-Garden-Part-1
D'Mello, J.F. (Ed). (1997). Handbook of Plant and Fungal Toxicants. CRC Press. (pp.261).
Nelson, L. S., Shih, R. D., Balick, M. J. (2007). Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants (2nd ed.). Springer. (pp. 32,62-63)
Neveln, V. (2018). Monkshood. Better Homes & Gardens. From https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/monkshood/
Stewart, A. (2009). Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. (pp. 1-2).
The Friends of the Wild Flower Garden, Inc. (2015). Monkshood. From https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/monkshood.html
Date of page creation: September 13, 2022
Updated: June 2, 2023