In recent years, application of nanotechnology is widely distributed in diverse fields, especially in agricultural systems. Atropa belladonna L. from Solanaceae family is an important medicinal plant and reported to be used for the treatment of various diseases. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to improve the production of total tropane alkaloids through the application of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) as elicitor in plant cultures of A. belladonna. The seeds of A.belladonna were surface sterilized and germinated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) solid medium with a 16 h photoperiod. After 30 days, the produced plantlets were cultured in MS media containing different concentrations (0, 25, and 50 mg L-1) of AgNO3 and AgNPs for one week. At the end of the experiment, shoots and roots of the propagated plantlets were harvested and frozen in the liquid nitrogen and then transferred to -80ºC freezer. After total alkaloids extraction, the extracts were analysed using spectrophotometer for the determination of total tropane alkaloid contents. Our results suggest that AgNPs in both levels (25 and 50 mg L-1) increased total tropane alkaloid contents of shoot and root samples. AgNO3 caused to reduction in total tropane alkaloid contents of samples in both levels. In conclusion, treatment of A. belladonna with AgNPs seems to be a simple and cost-effective method of improving the medicinal properties of this solanaceaeous plant.
