RESUMO
The genus Datura comprises wild shrub plants that belong to the Solanaceae family. Naturally, they possess both medicinal and poisonous properties due to the presence of many biologically active phytochemical constituents. Traditionally, Datura had been used for mystic and religious purposes, as a natural drug to treat asthma, pain, gout, boils, abscesses, and wounds, and as psychoactive infusions and fumitories. Different Datura species exhibit diverse ethnopharmacological activities against different diseases, and many ancient and traditional cultures have used various forms of Datura to treat ailments and to prevent many diseases. In this article, we comprehensively summarize various phytochemical constituents isolated from Datura, their pharmacological properties against different diseases, parts of the plants used as traditional therapeutic agents, regions where they are located, and botanical descriptions of different Datura species. The ethnopharmacological properties of Datura may provide new insights for discovery and development of natural drugs. Further research is needed for the investigation of mechanisms of action and to develop safety profiles of the phytochemical constituents isolated from Datura species.
