Valerian

Valeriana officinalis L.  Valerianaceae.  V. officinalis is the European variety and the one most commonly available and  reported on.  There are a number of other plants in the Valerianaceae family that have similar effects, including some indigenous to the United States (V. sitchensis), and these are occasionally found in commercial products.  The common name is valerian and the chinese name chih ts’ao.

Although Valeriana has been a popular medicinal herb for thousands of years, it has not always been used for nervousness and insomnia.  The Greeks used it for digestive and urinary tract disorders, as an emmenogogue and for epilepsy.  It was popular for epilepsy during the Middle Ages, but was not generally used as a sedative and sleep aid until the late 16^th century.  By the 18^th century it was firmly established as a nerve and sleep remedy, and was official in The United States Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1936, and in The National Formulary from 1888-1946.  It is still official in the pharmacopoeias of many European countries including France, Germany, Switzerland, India and Japan.

Valeriana is a hardy perennial that grows up to five feet in height.  The stem is grooved and hollow.  The leaves are fernlike and the flowers are tiny and in clusters of a pinkish color.  The medicinal root has long, thin fibers coming from a rhizome.  The characteristic strange odor develops as the roots dry.  They have an intoxicating effect on cats, similar to catnip.

The roots and rhizomes are the parts used.  Valeriana is available as a bulk herb for making into tea.  It is also commonly available as hydroalcoholic extract, glycerite extract, and capsules.  It is often combined with other herbs, including:  Passiflora incarnata, Matricaria chamomilla, Humulus lupulus, Scutellaria lateriflora, and others. The taste of the tea is offensive to most people, being likened to old, dirty socks, and other descriptive phrases.  The capsules are a tasteless way to take Valeriana, but the taste can come back up for some people.  Hydroalcoholic extracts of Valeriana are the most widely used preparation and are the easiest way to use this herb.

Valeriana is a popular herbal remedy used for  insomnia, nervousness and anxiety disorders.  The action of the herb is not completely understood, although there have been numerous studies done.  The three main active components are the valepotriates, the essential oils and unknown water-soluble ingredients that have not been determined.

The essential oils were first given credit for being the active ingredient.  Isovaleric acid and valeric acid particularly are thought responsible for the sedative effect.^[i]  There are some antispasmodic qualities also.  It is considered now that the essential oils only account for about one third of the plants total activity.^[ii]

In 1966 the first valepotriates were discovered, they were found to have spasmolytic, sedative and anticonvulsant activity.  They may also interact with the essential oils to produce nervous system activity.^[iii] A whole series of valepotriates have been discovered and their actions have been found to be different and in part opposite, with the results of  regulatory effects on the autonomic nervous system.  They have been referred to as amphoteric.^[iv]

Neither valepotriates nor essential oils are easily water-soluble however, and aqueous extracts have been shown to have sedative effects and to have an improvement on sleep.^{[v] [vi][vii]}  There are unknown water soluble factors that bind to GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) receptors,^[viii]  which are the same neurotransmitters affected by the benzodiazepines and barbiturates.   There is also some evidence that Valeriana may help withdrawal from benzodiazepines.

Valeriana can promote sleep and decrease latency to sleep, although it does not appear to reduce night awakenings.  Extracts of Valeriana have shown these effects as well as the aqueous preparations.^[ix] Another study showed that Valeriana increased slow-wave sleep (SWS) and decreased sleep stage 1.^[x]   The German Commission E allows the use of Valeriana in sedative and sleep-inducing preparations for states of excitation and difficulty in falling asleep due to nervousness.

There is quite a variation of chemical constituents in the different Valerianas, and even of V. officinalis grown in different areas.  The most active compounds are divided into three classes the essential oils, the valepotriates, and a small amount of alkaloids.  The essential oils include valerianic acid, bornyl acetate and isovalerate among others.  The remarkable odor of Valeriana is produced when it is dried and a number of the components of the essential oils hydrolyze to isovaleric acid.

The valepotriates, which were only first discovered in the 1960s, are non-glycosidic iridoid esters that exhibit many different variations on a basic structural theme. Valepotriates have been shown to be carcinogenic, cytotoxic and mutagenic in high concentrations.  They are, however, highly unstable, and most commercial preparation of Valeriana contain few of the original valepotriates.

The tea is made with one to two teaspoons Valeriana to one cup of water, steeped for ten minutes, one to three cups taken daily.  The hydroalcoholic extract dosage is 40 to 120 drops, three time a day or as needed.^[xi]   Weiss recommends it be given by the teaspoonful up to two teaspoons at a time, and attributes any failures to being effective to not large enough doses.^[xii]

Valeriana can occasionally have a stimulating effect instead of relaxing. Caution should be used when driving or using heavy equipment after taking Valeriana. No acute toxicity  has been reported for Valeriana however, large amounts may cause headache, lethargy, excitability, insomnia, disturbances in heart activity and nausea.  Not advised for children under two. Can increase sleeping time induced by pentobarbital.^[xiii]