Datura Stramonium: An Overview of Its Antioxidant System for Plant Benefits

The interaction of plant with beneficial and/or pathogenic microorganisms can have the potential to trigger active defense reactions in plant. Plants have an innate ability to biosynthesize an ample range of antioxidants (nonenzymatic) capable of attenuating reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced oxidative damage. The defense response of the weed, Datura stramonium (belonging to the family Solanaceae), a poisonous vespertine flowering plant, has been evaluated for its vast pharmacological properties having 64 tropane alkaloid compounds with antioxidant potential. Scientifically, D. stramonium reported to possess antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, insecticidal (organophosphate protective effects), and herbicidal activity. Scientifically, the frequent recreational exploitation of D. stramonium has resulted in toxic syndromes. This chapter presents an overview concerning its classical literature and pharmacological aspects and can also be envisaged as a novel source of natural antioxidants and antimicrobial compounds. In future perspectives, potential alteration in superoxide dismutases, guaiacol peroxidases, and catalases, lignin production, and bacterial inoculation will be approached to activate some defense mechanisms and a potentially increase the plant resistance to pathogen attack via increase in enzymatic activity of antioxidants.