In merito alla famosa vicenda dell’assunzione di noce moscata in un famoso programma tv e alle polemiche che non si arrestano sull’argomento, ritengo sia necessario fare chiarezza sull’argomento in 
Myristica fragrans Houtt (nutmeg) is an aromatic evergreen tree of the plant family Myristicaceae.
La noce moscata, il vero e proprio seme dell’albero, è importante nella medicina popolare, dove viene usata per curare raffreddori, febbre, catarro, disturbi respiratori generali e malattie della pelle come la scabbia, èanche usato come stimolante dell’appetito, carminativo, antiemetico e abortivo.
In laboratory studies, M. fragrans has been shown to possess insulin-like, insecticidal, antibacterial, and antioxidants!
Tuttavia, l’uso prolungato di noce moscata può causare alterazioni degenerative a carico di reni, milza, fegato, cuore, corpo genicolato mediale e collicolo superiore.
If taken in excessive quantities, it can have toxic effects, studies have shown a toxic action already at a dosage of DL 50 of the alkaloids extracted from the seeds of M. fragrans has been calculated in 5.1 g/kg, furthermore the presence of alkaloids and make it if taken in excessive dosages far higher than those usually used in the kitchen, can have a psychoactive effect as well as neurotoxic due to the presence 
Myristicin, a toxic derivative of safrole, has a brute or molecular formula and is C11h12OR3, whose name in the IUPAC nomenclature is 4-Methoxy-6-prop-2-enyl-benzo[1,3]dioxole, we can find it in small quantities in parsley, nutmeg is an anticholinergic.
Sopprime cioè l’azione del neurotrasmettitore acetilcolina, prevenendo così l’eccitazione dei nervi, in particolare quelli che controllano i movimenti dei muscoli presenti nell’intestino, nel tratto urinario, nei polmoni e in altre parti del corpo.
If taken in an excessive quantity which in nutmeg is around 5g/Kg it can lead to convulsions, hallucinations, tachycardia and even death.
Herbochemist profession
Consultancy and Research for Quality Control and Pharmacognostic and Cytotoxicological Evaluation on Plant Extracts of Medicinal Plants, Microalgae and Bud Derivatives and Microbiota Research on Medicinal Plants
CCDSN – Centro di Controllo e Divulgazione Scientifica sulle Sostanze Naturali
Rome Italy
http://www.paolopelinierbochimico.it
E-mail: paolo.pelini@gmail.com
Received in the editorial staff: 2023-01-24