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Herbs & Supplements
Mandragora
Scientific Name: European Mandrake
Other Names: Atropa mandragora, Crazy Apple, Dudaim, Herb of Circe, Majnoon, Mandragora officinalis, Mandragora vernalis, Mandrake, Pome Di Tchin, Satan's Apple, Sorcerer's Root, True Mandrake, Witch's Manikin
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Uses
Note: European mandrake is very different from mayapple, which is often called American mandrake. They have very different properties and different uses. They are not interchangeable. Additionally, the amounts of active chemicals in European mandrake vary greatly, so equal doses are hard to guarantee.
European mandrake contains several chemicals--including atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine--from a group known as tropane alkaloids. These alkaloids have narrow therapeutic ranges, which means that a very small decrease in the dose could make the drug ineffective or a small increase could raise the risk of side effects greatly. Frequently, a potentially harmful dose is not much higher than an effective dose.
Historically, a major use of European mandrake has been to treat asthma and other breathing problems. The alkaloids in European mandrake are thought to reduce secretions in all parts of the body, including the lungs. One possible result is that lung congestion may be lessened. Additionally, the tropane alkaloid component may relax muscles in the bronchial tubes, making breathing easier. Although newer prescription medicines use different kinds of chemicals, alkaloids similar to those found in European mandrake were formerly used in prescription medicines to treat asthma. Those drugs have mostly been replaced with safer and more effective products.
Another effect of the alkaloids of the type found in European mandrake is to slow down the activity of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract--the stomach and intestines. They also reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach. In the past, these properties made European mandrake useful for easing colic, lessening motion sickness, treating ulcers, and relieving stomach cramps. Some prescription medications used for GI conditions still contain tropane alkaloids, but newer drugs generally are more effective with fewer side effects.
European mandrake's alkaloids temporarily paralyze certain muscles in the eyes, resulting in mydriasis (widened pupils that do not shrink normally when exposed to light). The alkaloids are often included in eye drops that are used by eye doctors performing eye exams or eye surgery.
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Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.
In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.
This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.
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Who is this for? 
