Tinctura Madre de louro Tinktura majke lovora 30ml (Laurobasidium lauri)

Madre de louro/mother of laurel Laurobasidium lauri is a fungus in the family Exobasidiaceae, order Exobasidiales. It is parasitic fungus that grows on endemic laurel trees  Laurus novocanariensis in Madeira and the Canary Islands, and (in some places) Laurus nobilis. On the laurel host, it forms galls (abnormal growths). These appear first as swollen, greenish patches; over time they elongate and curve, turning a dark brownish color and often looking like antlers or stag horns. The fungus is quite restricted in distribution, closely tied to old laurel trees in laurel-forest “laurissilva” habitat.

Medicinal and psychoactive properties of madre-de-louru and its preparations are well known in island folklore of Madeira for generations, with numerous  beneficial properties for human mind and body;

• Controlling uterine bleeding / hemorrhages

• Rheumatism and lower back pain

• Post-partum applications: in some traditions, women drink an infusion of the fungus in alcohol after childbirth

• Encouraging blood clotting

• Antibacterial and cytotoxic activity reported

Traditional & Ethnopharmacological Uses

Madre-de-Louro - literally “Mother-of-Laurel” - is a strongly rooted element of Madeiran folk medicine. Islanders historically used it as an antirheumatic, hemostatic (to control bleeding), emmenagogue (to affect menstrual flow), insecticide, and analeptic (restorative). It is singled out among local “cryptogams” (fungi) in classical ethnobotanical surveys of Madeira for these traditional uses.

The most common preparation is a hydro-alcoholic tincture: pieces of the fungal growth are macerated in spirits (brandy or strong alcohol, often ~40–55% ethanol) for days or weeks. This alcoholic extract - a dark, resinous tincture - is the household medicine used internally (small doses) or topically depending on the complaint. In some vernacular recipes the tincture is blended with other local herbs (basil, chamomile, cinnamon) or even subjected to unusual “maturation” rituals (historical accounts mention brief burial under cow dung in a barn as part of a folk curing process). Madre-de-Louro has been used as an antirheumatic and analgesic for joint and back pains. Traditional topical applications (drops of laurel-derived oil warmed and applied) and internal intake of the tincture have both been reported in local accounts. 

Reports also list uses as an insect repellent/insecticide and as a general restorative tonic (analeptic). The fungus occupies a symbolic place in laurissilva culture ~ treated as a special “gift” from the old laurel trees and incorporated into household remedy lore.

Madre-de-Louro in women’s health & postpartum care

A well-repeated local use is for uterine problems: the tincture is taken to reduce excessive menstrual bleeding or postpartum hemorrhage and - paradoxically in older accounts - sometimes used as both a hemostatic and as an emmenagogue depending on the tradition. Postpartum women in some communities were given a small cup of a brew containing Madre-de-Louro together with other herbs during the early puerperium. These uses are long-standing in oral and written folklore.

Traditional practice and pharmacology

Pharmacological screening and older experimental studies described alkaloid-rich fractions and essential oil from L. lauri with sedative/analgesic activity in animal models and inhibition of isolated uterine contractions in vitro — an effect that could explain traditional use for uterine bleeding/colic by reducing spasms. Experimental work suggested the antispasmodic activity may relate to modulation of calcium availability in smooth muscle. Modern in-vitro analyses of hydro-alcoholic extracts show antioxidant activity and some antibacterial effects (e.g., against Staphylococcus aureus) in laboratory assays, supporting that the fungus contains bioactive secondary metabolites worthy of further study.