Valerian

Valerian is a plant widely used in traditional, complementary and alternative medicine, with pharmacologically active components that affect the central nervous system. Valeriana officialis is present in some official Northern European formularies. Valerian is used for its sleep-inducing and anti-anxiety effects.

It has several types of components that affect receptors in the central nervous system, although some are unstable, and there is per-plant variability:

• Volatile oil: "Some of these have been shown to have a direct action on the amygdaloid body of the brain and valerenic acid has been shown to inhibit enzyme-induced breakdown of GABA in the brain resulting in sedation. The non-volatile monoterpenes known as valepotriates were first isolated in 1966 and contribute to the overall activity by possessing sedative activity based on the CNS although the mode of action is not clearly known. The valepotriates themselves act as prodrugs which are transformed into homobaldrinal which has been shown to reduce the spontaneous motility of mice"
  • Bornyl acetate, a monoterpene
  • Valerenic acid, a sesquiterpene
  • Other variable terpenes
• Aqueous extract of root
  • GABA
  • Hydroxypinoresinol,, a lignan that binds to benzodiazepine receptors