This product is no longer sold by Raintree Nutrition, Inc. See the main product page for more information on why. Click on one of the product search links in the left margin of this page to find other available products. You can also see the rainforest products page to find other companies selling rainforest herbal supplements or rainforest plants in general.

In both North and South American herbal medicine systems mulungu is considered to be an excellent sedative to calm agitation and nervous coughs and to treat other nervous system problems including insomnia and anxiety.* Researchers have published animal studies about the alkaloid chemicals in mulungu attributed to this anti-anxiety action.* For more information mulungu (Erythrina mulungu), please refer to the Database File for Mulungu in the Tropical Plant Database. To see pictures of mulungu, click here.

Traditional Uses:* for mental disorders (depression, anxiety, stress, hysteria, panic disorders, compulsive disorders, etc.); as a sedative for insomnia, restlessness, and sleep disorders; for liver disorders (hepatitis, obstructions, high liver enzyme levels, sclerosis, etc.); for high blood pressure and heart palpitations; for drug and nicotine withdrawal

Suggested Use: This plant is best prepared as a decoction. Use one teaspoon of powder for each cup of water. Bring to a boil and gently boil in a covered pot for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and settle for 10 minutes and strain warm liquid into a cup (leaving the settled powder in the bottom of the pan). It is traditionally taken in 1/2 cup amounts twice daily. For more complete instructions on preparing herbal decoctions, see the Methods for Preparing Herbal Remedies Page.

Contraindications:

• 1. This plant is traditionally used as a sedative and may cause drowsiness.
• 2. Mulungu has demonstrated hypotensive actions in animal studies. It is probably contraindication in persons with low blood pressure.

Drug Interactions: None documented; however, mulungu may enhance the effect of some antianxiety drugs and blood pressure drugs.

---

Third-Party Published Research on Mulungu

All available third-party research on mulungu can be found at PubMed. A partial listing of the published research on mulungu updated through Feb 2019 is shown below:

Pain-Relieving, Antispasmodic, Anticonvulsant, & Anti-inflammatory Actions:
Amorim, J., et al. "The ethanolic extract from Erythrina mulungu Benth. flowers attenuates allergic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of asthma." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Aug 10: S0378-8741.
Etoh, T., et al. "Inhibitory effect of erythraline on Toll-like receptor signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells." Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2013; 36(8): 1363-9.
de Oliveira, M., et al. "Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity of hydroalcoholic extracts and fractions from Erythrina mulungu." Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 2012 Jan/Feb; 22(1): 157-161.
Santos Rosa, D., et al. "Erysothrine, an alkaloid extracted from flowers of Erythrina mulungu Mart. ex Benth: evaluating its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic potential." Epilepsy Behav. 2012 Mar; 23(3): 205-12.
Nagaraja, T., et al. "Anticonvulsant activity of Erythrina mysorensis bark extract in an animal model of epilepsy." J. Pharmacol. Pharmacother. 2012 Jan; 3(1): 62-4.
Faggion, S., et al. "Anticonvulsant profile of the alkaloids (+)-erythravine and (+)-11-α-hydroxy-erythravine isolated from the flowers of Erythrina mulungu Mart ex Benth (Leguminosae-Papilionaceae)." Epilepsy Behav. 2011 Mar; 20(3): 441-6.
Vasconcelos, S., et al. "Anti-inflammatory activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and E. mulungu in mice." Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 2011 Nov/Dec; 21(6): 1155-1158.
Carvalho, A., et al. "Evidence of the mechanism of action of Erythrina velutina Willd (Fabaceae) leaves aqueous extract." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Mar; 122(2): 374-378.
Teixeira-Silva, F., et al. "Benzodiazepine-like effects of the alcohol extract from Erythrina velutina. leaves: memory, anxiety, and epilepsy." Pharm. Bio. 2008; 46(5): 321-328.
Fischer, L., et al. "Analgesic properties of extracts and fractions from Erythrina crista-galli (Fabaceae) leaves." Nat. Prod. Res. 2007 Jul; 21(8): 759-66.
Vasconcelos, S., et al. "Anticonvulsant activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Mar; 110(2): 271-4.
Kumar, V. "Potential medicinal plants for CNS disorders: an overview." Phytother. Res. 2006; 20: 1023–35.
Marchioro, M., et al. "Anti-nociceptive activity of the aqueous extract of Erythrina velutina leaves." Fitoterapia. 2005 Dec; 76(7-8): 637-642.
Chaddock, J., et al. "Retargeted clostridial endopeptidases: inhibition of nociceptive neurotransmitter release in vitro, and antinociceptive activity in in vivo models of pain." Mov. Disord. 2004 Mar; 19 Suppl 8: S42-7.
Weber, D., et al. "Phomol, a new antiinflammatory metabolite from an endophyte of the medicinal plant Erythrina crista-galli." J. Antibiot. 2004; 57(9): 559-63.
Vasconcelos, S., et al. "Antinociceptive activities of the hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice." Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2003; 26(7): 946-9.
Njamen, D., et al. "Anti-inflammatory activity of erycristagallin, a pterocarpene from Erythrina mildbraedii." Eur. J. Pharmacol. 2003 May; 468(1): 67-74.
Duggan, M., et al. "Inhibition of release of neurotransmitters from rat dorsal root ganglia by a novel conjugate of a Clostridium botulinum toxin A endopeptidase fragment and Erythrina cristagalli lectin." J. Biol. Chem. 2002 Sep; 277(38): 34846-52.

Anti-Anxiety Actions:
Dias, K., et al. "Standardized extract of Erythrina velutina Willd. attenuates schizophrenia-like behaviours and oxidative parameters in experimental animal models." J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2019 Mar; 71(3): 379-389.
Ximenes, N., et al. "Ethanolic extract of Erythrina velutina Willd ameliorate schizophrenia-like behavior induced by ketamine in mice." J. Complement. Integr. Med. 2018 Oct 12.
Silveira-Souto, M., et al. "Effect of Erythrina mulungu on anxiety during extraction of third molars." Med. Oral Patol. Oral Cir. Bucal. 2014 Sep; 19(5): e518-24.
Setti-Perdigão, P., et al. "Erythrina mulungu alkaloids are potent inhibitors of neuronal nicotinic receptor currents in mammalian cells." PLoS One. 2013 Dec; 8(12): e82726.
Santos Rosa, D., et al. "Erysothrine, an alkaloid extracted from flowers of Erythrina mulungu Mart. ex Benth: evaluating its anticonvulsant and anxiolytic potential." Epilepsy Behav. 2012 Mar; 23(3): 205-12.
Nagaraja, T., et al. "Evaluation of anxiolytic effect of Erythrina mysorensis Gamb. in mice." Indian J. Pharmacol. 2012 Jul; 44(4): 489-92.
Teixeira-Silva, F., et al. "Benzodiazepine-like effects of the alcohol extract from Erythrina velutina leaves: memory, anxiety, and epilepsy." Pharma Bio. 2008; 46(5): 321-328.
Raupp, I., et al. "Anxiolytic-like effect of chronic treatment with Erythrina velutina extract in the elevated plus-maze test." J. Ethnopharmacol, 2008 Jul; 118(2): 295-299.
Flausino, O., et al. "Effects of erythrinian alkaloids isolated from Erythrina mulungu (Papilionaceae) in mice submitted to animal models of anxiety." Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2007 Feb; 30(2): 375-8.
Flausino, O., et al. "Anxiolytic effects of erythrinian alkaloids from Erythrina mulungu." J. Nat. Prod. 2007 Jan; 70(1): 48-53.
Ribeiro, M., "Effect of Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in rats submitted to animal models of anxiety and depression." Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 2006; 39(2): 263-70.
Onusic, G., et al. "Effects of chronic treatment with a water-alcohol extract from Erythrina mulungu on anxiety-related responses in rats." Biol. Pharm. Bull. 2003; 26(11): 1538-42.
Onusic, G., et al. "Effect of acute treatment with a water-alcohol extract of Erythrina mulungu on anxiety-related responses in rats." Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 2002; 35(4): 473-77.
Kittler, J., et al. "Mechanisms of GABA receptor assembly and trafficking: implications for the modulation of inhibitory neurotransmission." Mol. Neurobiol. 2002; 26(2-3): 251-68.

Neuroprotective & Antioxidant Actions:
Dias, K., et al. "Standardized extract of Erythrina velutina Willd. attenuates schizophrenia-like behaviours and oxidative parameters in experimental animal models." J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2019 Mar; 71(3): 379-389.
Rodrigues, F., et al. "Effects of standard ethanolic extract from Erythrina velutina in acute cerebral ischemia in mice." Biomed. Pharmacother. 2017 Dec; 96: 1230-1239.
Silva, A., et al. "Pharmacognostical analysis and protective effect of standardized extract and rizonic acid from Erythrina velutina against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells." Pharmacogn. Mag. 2016 Oct-Dec; 12(48): 307-312.

Memory Enhancement Actions:
Santos, W., et al. "In vitro and ex vivo anticholinesterase activities of Erythrina velutina leaf extracts." Pharm Biol. 2012 Jul; 50(7): 919-24.
Teixeira-Silva, F., et al. "Benzodiazepine-like effects of the alcohol extract from Erythrina velutina leaves: memory, anxiety, and epilepsy." Pharma Bio. 2008; 46(5): 321-328.
Hidalgo, A., et al. "Differential expression of glycans in the hippocampus of rats trained on an inhibitory learning paradigm." Neuropathology. 2006 Dec; 26(6): 501-7.

Sedative & Central Nervous System Depressant Actions:
Vasconcelos, S., et al. "Central activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from Erythrina velutina and Erythrina mulungu in mice." J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2004; 56(3): 389-93.
Dantas, M., et al. "Central nervous system effects of the crude extract of Erythrina velutina on rodents." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Sep; 94(1): 129-133.

Hypotensive Actions:
Merlugo, L., et al. "Alkaloids in Erythrina by UPLC-ESI-MS and in vivo hypotensive potential of extractive preparations." Evid. Based Complement. Alternat. Med. 2015; 2015: 959081.
Passos, A., et al. "The positive inotropic effect of the ethyl acetate fraction from Erythrina velutina leaves on the mammalian myocardium: the role of adrenergic receptors." J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2013 Jun; 65(6): 928-36.

Estrogenic & Anti-Osteoporotic Actions:
Ashmawy, N., "Polyphenols from Erythrina crista-galli: structures, molecular docking and phytoestrogenic activity." Molecules. 2016 Jun; 21(6).
Zhang, Y., et al. "Anti-osteoporotic effect of Erythrina variegata L. in ovariectomized rats." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Jan; 109(1): 165-9.

Nicotine Withdrawal Actions:
Meza, R., et al. "Functional expression of the a7 and a4-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the neonatal rat carotid body." Neurochem. Int. 2012 Jan;60(2):115-24.
Iturriaga-Vásquez, P., et al. "Molecular determinants for competitive inhibition of alpha4beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors." Mol. Pharmacol. 2010 Sep;78(3):366-75.
Freyer, A., et al. "Isolation, structure elucidation, and biological evaluation of 15-amido-3-demethoxy- 2alpha,3alpha-methylenedioxyerythroculine, a new alkaloid from Hyperbaena valida." J. Nat. Prod. 2006; 69(10): 1514-6.
Daly. J. "Nicotinic agonists, antagonists, and modulators from natural sources." Cell. Mol. Neurobiol. 2005 Jun; 25(3-4): 513-52.
Mansbach, R., et al. "Effects of the competitive nicotinic antagonist erysodine on behavior occasioned or maintained by nicotine: comparison with mecamylamine." Psychopharmacology. 2000; 148(3): 234-42.
Decker, M., et al. "Erysodine, a competitive antagonist at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors." Eur. J. Pharmacol. 1995; 280(1): 79-89.

Liver Protective Actions:
Sanzen, T., et al. "Expression of glycoconjugates during intrahepatic bile duct development in the rat: an immunohistochemical and lectin-histochemical study." Hepatology. 1995; 3: 944-51.

Antimicrobial & Antiparasitic Actions:
de Ávila, J., et al. "Antimicrobial evaluation of erythrinan alkaloids from Erythrina cristagalli L." Med. Chem. 2018; 14(8): 784-790.
Ji, Y., et al. "Quantifying weak glycan-protein interactions using a biolayer interferometry competition assay: applications to ECL lectin and X-31 influenza hemagglutinin." Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2018; 1104: 259-273.
Callejon, D., et al. "Leishmanicidal evaluation of tetrahydroprotoberberine and spirocyclic erythrina-alkaloids." Molecules. 2014 May; 19(5): 5692-703.
de Lima, M., et al. "Anti-bacterial activity of some Brazilian medicinal plants." J. Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Apr; 105(1-2): 137-47.
Sato, M., et al. "Antibacterial property of isoflavonoids isolated from Erythrina variegata against cariogenic oral bacteria." Phytomedicine. 2003; 10(5): 427-33.  
Holetz, F., et al. "Screening of some plants used in the Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of infectious diseases." Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz. 2002 Oct; 97(7): 1027-31.
Tanaka, H., et al. "Antibacterial activity of isoflavonoids isolated from Erythrina variegata against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus." Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 2002; 35(6): 494-8.
Mitscher, L., et al. "Antimicrobial agents from higher plants. Erycristagallin, a new petrocarpene from the roots of the Bolivian coral tree, Erythrina crista-galli." Heterocycles. 1984; 22(8): 1673-75.
Mitscher, L., et al. "Erycristin, a new antimicrobial pterocarpan from Erythrina crista-galli." Phytochemistry. 1988; 27(2): 381-85.

Safety / Non-Toxic Studies:
Guaratini, T., et al. "In vitro metabolism studies of erythraline, the major spiroalkaloid from Erythrina verna." BMC Complement. Altern. Med. 2014 Feb; 14: 61.
de Bona, A., et al. "Phytochemical and mutagenic analysis of leaves and inflorescences of Erythrina mulungu (Mart. Ex Benth) through micronucleus test in rodents." Rev. Bras. Plant. Med. 2012; 14(2): 344-351.