Mandragora officinarum

Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum). Reprinted with permission from Harner MJ. (1973). The role of hallucinogenic plants in European witchcraft, in Hallucinogens and Shamanism. Harner MJ, ed. London Oxford University Press. 

A. Alkaloids 1. Belladonna-type solanaceous tropane alkaloids [Atropine (1), (—)-Hyoscyamine (2), Scopolamine ((—)-Hysoscine)(3)] Atropa belladonna L. (belladonna), Datura metel L., D. stramonium L. (jimson weed), Hyoscyamus niger L. (henbane), Mandragora officinarum L. (European mandrake), and other solanaceous species Anticholinergics (parasympatholytics)... 

Tropane alkaloids, principally hyoscyamine and hyoscine, are also found in two other medicinal plants, scopolia and mandrake, but these plants find little current use. Scopolia (Scopolia carniolica Solanaceae) resembles belladonna in appearance, though it is considerably smaller. Both root and leaf materials have been employed medicinally. The European mandrake (Mandragora officinarum Solanaceae) has a complex history as a hypnotic, a general panacea, and an aphrodisiac. Its collection has been surrounded by much folklore and superstition, in that pulling it from the ground was said to drive its collector mad due to the unearthly shrieks emitted. The roots are frequently forked and are loosely likened to a man or woman. Despite the Doctrine of Signatures, which teaches that the appearance of an object indicates its special properties, from a pharmacological point of view, this plant would be much more efficient as a pain-reliever than as an aphrodisiac. 

MANDRAKE -- Mandragora officinarum. L. Family Solanaceae (Potato family). 

Calystegine Bi Convolvulus arvensis (Convolyulaceae) leaves/roots Calystegia sepium (Convolyulaceae) leaves/roots Physalis alkekengi (Solanaceae) roots Hyoscyamus niger (Solanaceae) leaves/roots Mandragora officinarum (Solanaceae) leaves/roots/fruits" Scopolia spp. (Solanaceae) leaves/roots Ipomoea batatus (Convolyulaceae) leaves/roots Duboisia leicMutrdtii (Solanaceae) leaves Lycium chinense (Solanaceae) roots ... 

Tropane alkaloids, such as hyoscyamine and/or scopolamine, occur in the solanaceous plants Atropa belladonna, Datura stramonium, Hyoscyamus niger, and Mandragora officinarum. These alkaloids are powerful anticholinergic agents and can elicit peripheral symptoms (for example blurred vision, dry mouth) as well as central effects (for example drowsiness, delirium). They can potentiate the effects of anticholinergic medicaments. 

A 31-year-old man took an unknown amount of Podophyllum peltatum, thinking it to be Mandragora officinarum he developed severe nausea and vomiting and recovered uneventfully (5). 

In some cases of poisoning, formulations of ginseng may have been adulterated with Mandragora officinarum (17). 

Calystegine Bi (35) Calystegia sepium (Convotvulaceae) leaves/roots [48] Convolvulus arvensis (Convotvulaceae) leaves/roots [47,49] Ipomoea batatus (Convotvulaceae) leaves/roots [8] Physalis alkekengi (Solanaceae) roots [51] Scopolia carniolica (Solanaceae) leaves/roots [52] Mandragora officinarum (Solanaceae) leaves/roots/fruits [52] Hyoscyamus tuger (Solanaceae) leaves/roots [52]... 

Harvested when plant in flower, mid-summer. Root collected in autumn ground leaves are collected after flowering season. Mandrake Mandragora officinarum... 

The terms mandrake and mayapple are used synonymously in the United States, being the plant species Podophyllum peltatum [of the plant family Podophyllaceae], which contains the toxic agent podophyUotoxin, which apparently has an anticancer or cancerostatic action [Hoffman, 1999, p. 81]. However, in Europe the mandrake is the species Mandragora officinarum of the family Solanaceae and contains belladonna-type alkaloids, namely, tropane or atropine alkaloids that include scopolamine and hyoscyamine. These are noted to have an anticancer action [Hoffman, 1991, p. 144]). 

Mandragorine. The first alkaloid to appear under this name was a resin isolated from Mandragora officinarum L. in 1889 (107) and was considered to be isomeric with atropine. A re-examination of the aurichloride of the so-called alkaloid demonstrated that it could be resolved into the aurichlorides of 1-hyoscyamine, 1-scbpolamine, and a minute quantity... 

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