Mandragora plant

Etoposide and teniposide are synthetic derivatives of the extract of the American mandragora plant (May Apple). The mechanism of their action has not been completely explained however, they act on the enzyme topoisomerase II, which disturbs the twisting of DNA. In addition, they inhibit DNA and RNA synthesis, as well as transport of nucleotides to cells. Cytotoxic action on normal cells is observed only in very high doses. These drugs exhibit significant activity in lymphomas, leukemia, Kaposi s sarcomas, and in testicular cancer. 

The Nightshade family of plants includes three important hallucinogens Atropa belladonna (belladonna), Hyoscyamus niger (henbane), and Mandragora... 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Hyoscyamine and/or atropine occur in several plants of the family Solanaceae, such as species of Atropa, Datura, Hyoscyamus, Duboisia, Mandragora and Scopolia (20). In some of these plants e.g. belladonna and scopolia, hyoscyamine is the dominant alkaloid throughout the life cycle of the plant. In Datura stramonium, hyoscyamine is the principal alkaloid at the time of flower-... 

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]). 

The real mandrake or Mandragora officinalis is one of the most striking plants of Lebanon and the Plain of Sharon. It has a central bunch of dark-blue, bell-shaped blossom on a flat disk of very broad primroselike leaves. 

Hyoscyamine and its racemic form atropine (extracted from Hyoscyamus niger, Atropa belladonna, and Mandragora officinarum), scopolamine (a co-product of hyoscyamine in Datura plants), cocaine (isolated from Erytroxylon coca), and calystegine (isolated from Solanum tuberosum) are tropane alkaloids that have widespread pharmacological use [38, 39], Atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine... 

V-Oxides of T5- and T6-type Alkaloids (T7-B). Two isomeric V-oxides of hyoscyamine (isomer 1 with equatorial N" -0 isomer 2 with axial N -0") were isolated from five famous species of the Solanoideae which have been widely used as medicinal plants Atropa belladonna, Hyoscyamus niger, Scopolia carniolica (Hyoscyameae clade), Mandragora officinarum (Mandragoreae clade), and Datura stramonium (Datureae clade) (Philippson and Handa 1975b). In addition, isomer 1 of the V-oxides of scopolamine (hyoscine) was identified in the same species with the exception of M. officinarum. It may be assumed that these compounds are also present in other species in minor concentrations they might have been overlooked in other studies on tropane alkaloids of the classical tertiary amine type due to the fact that the identification of V-oxides needs different methods. It may be added that also anisodamine V-oxide was identified in one species Physochlaina alaica). 

Example Plant alkaloids can be identified from DESI mass spectra of seeds, leaves, flowers, or roots. Here seeds of deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna) were subjected to DESI for the identification of their principal alkaloids atropine and scopolamine (Fig. 13.6) [13]. (Atropine is the name of the racemic mixture of (R)- and (S)-hyoscyamine. It is a tropane alkaloid also extracted from jimsonweed Datura stramonium), mandrake Mandragora officinarum) among other plants of the Solanaceae family.) The inset in Fig. 13.4 shows tandem mass spectra of the ions at m/z 290 and 304, thereby confirming them as corresponding to protonated hyoscyamine and scopolamine, respectively. The confirmation of the ion at m/z 304 as [M+H] ion of scopolamine was obtained by conparing the tandem mass spectrum with that of the standard alkaloid. 

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