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Mandragora officinarum
Toxic🐾Gemeine Alraune · (Mandragora officinarum)
Nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Description
Few medicinal plants are as wrapped in legend as common mandrake, whose branched, sometimes human-shaped root was carved and kept as a protective folk figure — anyone pulling it up, tradition warned, risked its fatal "scream". The Bible mentions the root in Genesis as a fertility charm, and in the 1st century Dioscorides described a root decoction given before surgery to induce unconsciousness — an early form of anaesthesia. Behind these effects lie potent tropane alkaloids such as hyoscyamine, scopolamine and atropine, found throughout the plant but concentrated in the root. Medieval healers also used mandrake against melancholy and convulsions, though large doses were said to cause delirium. All these historical uses are entirely obsolete today: the plant is highly toxic and, even in small amounts, can cause dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, seizures and, ultimately, fatal respiratory paralysis. Growing or consuming any part is strictly prohibited; if poisoning is suspected, contact poison control immediately.
🌿 Risk of confusion — read before wild-harvesting!
Symptoms: dry mouth, mydriasis, tachycardia, flushed skin, urinary retention, hallucinations, confusion, seizures, coma, death by central respiratory paralysis.
External use only!
This plant must NOT be taken internally. Use only as compress, salve, or bath.
CONTRAINDICATED during pregnancy
Tropane alkaloids (atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine) cross the placental barrier and can trigger fetal tachycardia and central nervous system damage. Dioscorides historically noted an abortifacient effect. Any use during pregnancy is absolutely contraindicated.
CONTRAINDICATED during breastfeeding
Atropine and scopolamine pass into breast milk and can cause anticholinergic effects in the infant (tachycardia, dry mouth, fever, restlessness). Breastfeeding: strictly contraindicated.
CONTRAINDICATED for children
Children are extremely sensitive to tropane alkaloids; even small amounts of root can cause fatal poisoning. The forked, often human-shaped root and the orange berries are visually attractive. No use in children and adolescents under 18 years.
Critical drug interactions with:
Anticholinergika (Tiotropium, Ipratropium, Oxybutynin, Glycopyrrolat) · Trizyklische Antidepressiva (Amitriptylin, Imipramin, Clomipramin) · MAO-Hemmer (Phenelzin, Tranylcypromin, Selegilin, Moclobemid) · Cholinesterase-Hemmer (Donepezil, Rivastigmin, Galantamin, Pyridostigmin)
External application: Grated mandrake root juice or salves were applied for rheumatic pain and chronic skin ulcers in antiquity and the Middle Ages. PFAF documents this topical use. No longer practised today due to transdermal tropane alkaloid absorption and skin irritation.
Preparation & dosage
Magical-ritual use: Carved forked roots, called 'Alraun(männlein)' in the German-speaking world, were kept as anthropomorphic protective figurines. Theophrastus prescribed drawing three sword-circles around the root; Flavius Josephus documented tying a dog to it for extraction — folk belief held the root's 'scream' to be lethal. Pure cultural history, no medicinal application.
Preparation & dosage
Historical documentation only — do NOT use
These internal applications are historically documented. This plant is highly toxic — self-treatment can cause severe poisoning or death. For documentation only, explicitly NOT a recommendation.
Ancient anaesthesia: Dioscorides in 'De Materia Medica' (1st century AD) described administering a cyathus (~45 ml) of mandrake root decoction before surgery to induce unconsciousness and analgesia. Pliny the Elder (Naturalis Historia) also documented the narcotic action. This historical pre-surgical use is today completely replaced by modern anaesthetics.
Preparation & dosage
Medieval use against melancholy, convulsions, and mania. In large doses the mandrake root was reported to induce delirium and 'madness'. Owing to extreme tropane alkaloid toxicity (atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine) it is obsolete today; of cultural and pharmacy-historical interest only.
Preparation & dosage
Biblical and folk fertility interpretation: Genesis 30:14–16 recounts how Reuben finds mandrakes in the field and Leah barters them with Rachel for a night with Jacob — the plant was regarded as a remedy for infertility. Dioscorides additionally noted an abortifacient effect. Neither application has any modern pharmacological evidence and both are strictly avoided due to extreme toxicity.
Preparation & dosage
Homoeopathic use: Mandragora officinarum is applied in homoeopathy (D6–D30) for restlessness, sleep disorders, and nervous exhaustion. Highly diluted homoeopathic preparations contain no pharmacologically active alkaloid amounts. Home preparation from plant material is strictly prohibited due to toxicity.
Preparation & dosage
⚠ External use only
VERY TOXIC — entire plant, especially the root. Mandragora officinarum contains the tropane alkaloids hyoscyamine, scopolamine (hyoscine), the racemate atropine, plus companion alkaloids (cuscohygrine, apoatropine, scopine). Mechanism: competitive antagonism at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors — classic anticholinergic (atropine-like) syndrome. Symptoms: dry mouth, mydriasis, tachycardia, flushed skin, urinary retention, hallucinations, confusion, seizures, coma, death by central respiratory paralysis. In case of suspicion: immediately contact poison control. No self-medication, no lay use — botanical and historical study only.
Tropane alkaloids (atropine, scopolamine, hyoscyamine) cross the placental barrier and can trigger fetal tachycardia and central nervous system damage. Dioscorides historically noted an abortifacient effect. Any use during pregnancy is absolutely contraindicated.
Atropine and scopolamine pass into breast milk and can cause anticholinergic effects in the infant (tachycardia, dry mouth, fever, restlessness). Breastfeeding: strictly contraindicated.
Children are extremely sensitive to tropane alkaloids; even small amounts of root can cause fatal poisoning. The forked, often human-shaped root and the orange berries are visually attractive. No use in children and adolescents under 18 years.
Drug interactions
Anticholinergika (Tiotropium, Ipratropium, Oxybutynin, Glycopyrrolat)
Additive anticholinergic effect: enhanced dry mouth, mydriasis, urinary retention, tachycardia, up to central anticholinergic syndrome with delirium.
Trizyklische Antidepressiva (Amitriptylin, Imipramin, Clomipramin)
Tricyclics have inherent anticholinergic activity; combination with Mandragora alkaloids substantially potentiates anticholinergic side effects, including cognitive impairment.
MAO-Hemmer (Phenelzin, Tranylcypromin, Selegilin, Moclobemid)
MAO inhibitors may potentiate the action and toxicity of tropane alkaloids through reduced catecholamine breakdown; central nervous system excitation and hypertensive crises possible.
Antihistaminika der 1. Generation (Diphenhydramin, Promethazin, Doxylamin)
First-generation H1 antihistamines have anticholinergic properties; additive effects when combined with Mandragora alkaloids, especially sedation and dry mouth.
Cholinesterase-Hemmer (Donepezil, Rivastigmin, Galantamin, Pyridostigmin)
Pharmacodynamic antagonism: cholinesterase inhibitors raise acetylcholine, tropane alkaloids block muscarinic receptors — loss of effect of both substances, clinically uncontrollable outcome.
Contraindications
- Narrow-angle glaucoma — atropine dramatically worsens intraocular pressure
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia with voiding disorders — anticholinergic urinary retention
- Tachyarrhythmias and atrial fibrillation — tropane alkaloids increase heart rate
- Mechanical ileus and megacolon — anticholinergics paralyse intestinal motility
- Myasthenia gravis — antagonises neuromuscular transmission
- Pregnancy, lactation, children and adolescents (see above)
Harvested part: root
- Time of day:
- Late summer to autumn after wilting of the aerial leaves — highest alkaloid content in the root. Theophrastus and Josephus transmitted elaborate protective rituals (sword circles, dog), regarded today as pure folklore.
- Drying:
- CAUTION: for historical-documentary or botanical purposes only. Wash roots, slice, dry quickly at 40–50 °C in shade — moisture promotes racemisation (l-hyoscyamine → atropine) and microbial breakdown. Drying time max. 4–6 hours. PROTECTIVE GLOVES MANDATORY — transdermal alkaloid absorption possible.
- Time of day:
- Early summer, when the globular yellow-orange fruits are ripe. Genesis 30:14 is set at the wheat harvest (May/June) — botanically consistent with fruit ripening in the Mediterranean.
- Drying:
- Fruits contain lower tropane alkaloid levels than the root but remain toxic. Drying in shade at 30–40 °C; dried fruits mould easily. No medicinal use — botanical and documentary purposes only.
- HyoscyamineAlkaloidContent: 0.2-0.4 %
Biologically active l-enantiomer; main alkaloid of fresh mandrake root; competitive antagonist at muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M1–M5); approximately twice as potent as the racemate atropine; partially racemises to atropine during drying and extraction.
- Scopolamine (Hyoscine)AlkaloidContent: 0.05-0.15 %
Epoxide derivative of tropane; more centrally sedating than atropine; antiemetic; efficiently crosses the blood-brain barrier; responsible for hallucinations and impaired consciousness in mandrake intoxication. Modern motion sickness patches use scopolamine.
- Atropine (dl-Hyoscyamine)AlkaloidContent: Spuren bis 0.1 %
Racemic mixture of l- and d-hyoscyamine; partly formed during drying and processing from l-hyoscyamine; mydriatic, antispasmodic, antisecretory; clinically used as antidote for organophosphate poisoning.
- CuscohygrineAlkaloidContent: < 0.05 %
Pyrrolidine alkaloid; companion substance in Solanaceae roots; minor pharmacological significance; analytical marker for root identification.
- ApoatropineAlkaloidContent: < 0.05 %
Dehydration product of atropine; weaker anticholinergic activity; formed during heating or storage of raw material.
- ScopineAlkaloidContent: Spuren
Degradation product of scopolamine; barely pharmacologically active; identified in root extracts.
- Withanolides (Mandragorosides)OtherContent: nicht quantifiziert
Steroidal lactones; described in Mandragora roots and leaves (first report for the genus Mandragora); chemotaxonomically interesting companion compounds; minor pharmacological role compared to tropane alkaloids.
- Sitosterol & ScopoletinOtherContent: Spuren
Non-alkaloid companion substances: sitosterol (phytosterol) and scopoletin (coumarin derivative); detected in root and leaf; pharmacologically without clinical relevance in the mandrake context.
- [4]BookPlants for a Future — Mandragora officinarum(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [1]WikipediaMandragora officinarum — Wikipedia (EN)(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [2]WikipediaGemeine Alraune — Wikipedia (DE)(accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [3]WikipediaMandrake — Wikipedia (EN) [folklore, Genesis 30:14, Dioscorides, Theophrastus, Josephus](accessed: 2026-05-26)
- [5]WikidataMandragora officinarum — Wikidata Q545550(accessed: 2026-05-26)