Economic Importance of Solanaceae: Food, Medicinal and Narcotics Importance

Solanaceae Family

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The Solanaceae family is one of the largest plant families in the world. There are about 2000 plant species belonging to the Solanaceae family. The economic importance of the Solanaceae family lies in many different fields. The economic importance of the Solanaceae family is utilized in various fields like food, medicines, narcotics etc. Different plants are utilized in these different activities and value is derived from them.

Let’s discuss the economic importance of Solanaceae in each activity briefly.

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Importance of Solanaceae family as Food

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The members of the Solanaceae family are used as food. The economic importance of the Solanaceae family lies in the fact that they are used as vegetables and food crops. The members of this family are an important source of carbohydrates and sugars.

Members like Solanum Tuberosum (potato), Solanum Melongena (brinjal), Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato) etc are used as important vegetables. Other members like Physalis peruviana (H. Rasbhari) produce edible berries.

Capsicum annum are dried to produce chili powder. Chili powder is the main spice in India and is used extensively in our households.

There are many other members that add value to the economic importance of Solanaceae as food.

Read More: Chromoplasts

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Importance of Solanaceae family as Medicine

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The economic importance of the Solanaceae family is also predominant in use for medicines. The members have important applications as medicines. The roots of Atropa belladonna are a source of alkaloid atropine. This alkaloid is used in tinctures and plasters. This alkaloid helps in overcoming the spasm of the muscles and also helps in relieving pain.

Hyoscyamus niger is a plant that adds value to the economic importance of the Solanaceae family as a medicinal plant. The dried leaves of the plant and the flower tops are important for the production of henbane. Henbane is used as a sedative in medical conditions like asthma and whooping cough.

Nicotine is produced from Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco). Datura stramonium is a plant that produces the drug stramonium. This drug is used to treat the bronchioles in asthma and also used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

The economic importance of the Solanaceae family as medicines is not limited to these plants only. There are also many other plants that are used to produce medicinal value.

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Importance of Solanaceae family as Narcotics

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The members of the Solanaceae family are used as recreational activities in many different ways. This is a primary economic importance of Solanaceae family members. Members of the family like Nicotiana tabacum and Nicotiana Rustica produce nicotine.

Nicotine is used in many products like tobacco, cigarettes, bidi and gurkhas. These plants are also used for medicinal purposes due to the production of nicotine.

Read More: Transpiration

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Importance of Solanaceae family as Ornamentals

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The economic importance of the Solanaceae family also lies in the fact that they are used as ornamental plants to decorate our houses or in our gardens.

Several of the Solanum species of the family are climbers that are used and cultivated in gardens. Solanum jasminoides produce white and tinted blue flowers that produce fragrance. Solanum dulcamara produces violet and spotted green flowers. Solanum seaforthianum produces blue or purple flowers.

Other plants that are cultivated in the gardens for ornamental purposes are petunia, cestrum, lyceum, salpiglossis, schizanthus etc.

The economic importance of the Solanaceae family is not limited to only these activities. For example, potatoes that belong to the Solanum species are also used to produce some industrial products like syrup, dextrin, alcohols etc. Nicotiana tabacum is used as insecticides and pesticides for treatment of pests. It is also used in paints and varnishes.

Read More: Macronutrients in Plants

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Things to Remember

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• The economic importance of Solanaceae family lies in the fact that they are used for many activities like for food, medicines, narcotics and ornamentals
• Plants like Solanum Tuberosum (potato), Solanum Melongena (brinjal) are important crop plants and are an important source of food.
• The economic importance of the Solanaceae family as medicine is derived from plants like Atropa belladonna, Hyoscyamus Niger, Datura stramonium etc.
• The members of Nicotiana species like Nicotiana Rustica and Nicotiana tabacum are used for producing narcotics substances like cigarettes, gutkha etc.
• Several members of the Solanum species are used as garden climbers. Other plants like petunia, cestrum, lyceum etc are also used as ornamentals.
• The economic importance of Solanaceae family members also lies in other applications like for producing industrial products, use as insecticides and pesticides etc.

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