Mandragora

Mandragora is a genus of plants that belongs to the Solanaceae family (nightshade family )  usually any members of this genus are known as Mandrakes  because of the large taproot that  can appear to look like the human form. To some, the roots resemble either the male or the female body. they have been associated with a variety of religious and spiritual practices throughout history. They have long been used in magic rituals. The most well known species are Mandragora officinarum and Mandragora autumnalis

the root of mandrakes 

 




Species of Mandragora are perennial herbaceous plants. Those plants have specific features to distinguish them from other plants such as : their stems are short or virtually absent ,They have large vertical tap roots(sometimes forked), a tuft of ovate leavesoften arranged in a basal rosette, The flowers are solitary with a bell-shaped corolla of five petals; they range from purple to yellow-green in colour, the ovary has two chambers (locules). After fertilization a fruit forms that is  a fleshy orange-coloured berry .some people describes the fruit as: sweet-smelling fruits resemble small apples. 

Mandragora officinarum



Mandragora  autumnalis

Distribution of Mandrakes:

There are six species of mandrake, mostly distributed throughout southern Europe, the Middle East, and northern Africa. The most well known species are Mandragora officinarum and Mandragora autumnalis, the former blooming in springtime and the latter during the fall.. Mandragora officinarum it is native to regions around the Mediterranean Sea, within the borders of Tunisia , Algeria and Morroco in north Africa; southern Spain , southern portugal, italy , southern Turkey; Syria , Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and Jordan in the Levant. and is usually found in open habitats, such as light woodland and disturbed sites, including olive groves, fallow land, waysides, railway embankments and ruins, from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft). Mandragora autumnalis In Jordan, can be found in Irbid, Ajloun, Jerash, Salt and Amman.

Toxic compounds and how its distributed in the plant

Mandrake contains the powerful tropane alkaloids scopolamine, hyoscyamine, atropine and mandragorine .which have an intense affect on the central nervous system .All parts of the plant are poisonous (specially the root )and contain these  alkaloids , and are distributed as : Hyoscyamine and scopolamine are found in all parts, whereas the mandrake root contains atropine, scopolamine and hyoscyamine along with a number of other alkaloids such as mandragorine.

Mandrake pharmacological use

The medicinal properties of Mandrake plants has drawn the attention of many researchers since the ancient time. The plant was used for its hallucinogenic and narcotic properties as a medication. Also, it was used for soothing, analgesic, anesthetic , aphrodisiac, soporific (sleep inducing) and pain-killing purposes for hundreds of years  . Centuries ago, attempts at surgical anesthesia began with plants, and the Mandrake was used in surgeries as a sedative and anesthetic, both to induce sleep and relief pain.

 Some people consume European mandrake root to relief arthritis-like pain, constipation, colic and to treat stomach ulcers, asthma and hay fever. Fresh leaves and leaf extracts can also be used topically for treating skin ulcers. The mandrake root also possesses aphrodisiac properties, as it was found to enhance fertility in women. Moreover, a semisynthetic derivative of podophyllotoxin, a substance of the mandrake plant, called Etoposide gives this plant anti-neoplastic properties. Etoposide inhibits topoisomerase II by stabilizing the enzyme–DNA complex and preventing the unwinding of DNA. It is indicated for the treatment of patients with germ cell tumor, lung cancer, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, gastric cancer, breast cancer, and testicular cancer.

Toxicity signs

As Mandragora (mandrake) contains toxic tropane alkaloids such as hyoscyamine and scopolamine. These alkaloids which  have anticholinergic properties ,in  high concentrations can cause severe symptoms such as nausea, mydriasis, blurred vision, urinary retention and supraventricular tachycardia. In severe poisoning cases, the slowing of the heartbeat can progress to death.
The Neurological symptoms appear several hours after eating seeds; appear as disorientation, delirium, hallucinations, seizures, photophobia, tachypnea, hypertension, and also coma can occur.

how to treat mandrakes toxicity :

Treatment  should aim first at removing plant material from the gastrointestinal tract, with a gastric lavage and secondly towards the administration of cholinergic agents ( antidote) which is Physostigmine (an antagonist to serious atropine poisoning, it  reverses the central and peripheral signs of anticholinergic toxicity) . The initial adult dose is 1-2 mg (0.01-0.03 mg/kg) intramuscularly or intravenously over 2-5 minutes. Improvement usually is seen within 15 minutes and a second dose may be repeated in 20-30 minutes. We may give the patient Valium and hydroxyzine to decrease  the agitation.



References:

1-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803991/#:~:text=The%20high%20concentration%20of%20solanum,blurred%20vision%20and%20supraventricular%20tachycardia

2-https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/mandragora

3-https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/mandrake-plant

4- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1021/european-mandrake

5- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803991/

6-https://0l12alibr-y-https-pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.ju.proxy.coe-elibrary.com/22584550/









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