Why is datura dangerous? The toxic plant behind Karnataka’s action against 3 platforms

Karnataka's Food Safety and Drug Administration has suspended food licences for three major e-commerce platforms - Bigbasket, Amazon, and Swiggy Instamart - due to the online sale of toxic datura fruits and seeds as food items. The toxic plant, also known as dhatura or thorn apple, belongs to the nightshade family and contains naturally occurring toxic substances such as atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine.

These compounds can impact the brain, heart, eyes, and nervous system. A Bangalore-based Instagram user highlighted the issue after a datura-filled Swiggy Instamart order was delivered. Dr Aravinda S N, a consultant at Aster RV Hospital, explains that consuming any part of the datura plant is extremely poisonous. The plant's use as food is neither safe nor healthy, despite its historical presence in temple rituals and old medicinal texts.

If accidentally consumed, datura can cause anticholinergic poisoning, leading to symptoms like a dry mouth, constant thirst, difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, unusually wide pupils, fast heartbeat, flushed skin, trouble passing urine, dizziness, weak coordination, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, delirium, and even seizures in extreme cases.

The severity depends on the amount taken, the plant part consumed, and the individual's age or general health. Precautions include washing hands thoroughly after handling datura and avoiding blending it with edible ingredients during food preparation.