Overview
- Belladonna’s tropane alkaloids yield approved drugs: atropine for pupil dilation, bradycardia and certain pesticide or nerve agent poisonings, and scopolamine for motion sickness and postoperative nausea.
- Regulators have warned about homeopathic belladonna products marketed for infants after reports of seizures and breathing problems, with added caution for interactions with antihistamines, antidepressants and antipsychotics.
- Mandrake contains atropine- and scopolamine-like compounds linked to historical use as an anaesthetic and sedative, and a 2022 study documented 88 traditional applications that modern evidence does not fully validate.
- Mugwort includes Artemisia annua, the source of the anti‑malarial artemisinin recognized by the 2015 Nobel Prize, and features in moxibustion and essential oils with reported antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Across these herbs, clinical support for many traditional claims remains limited, with noted risks such as allergic reactions and potential uterine contractions in pregnancy, reinforcing the conclusion that the lore reflects chemistry rather than magic.