valerian

Valerian

Other common names: Garden heliotrope, garden valerian
Latin name: Valeriana officinalis L. [Valerianaceae]
Latin synonyms: Valeriana exaltata J.C. Mikan
Plant part: Root



Valerian species grow worldwide. The root (or more precisely the
underground parts including the rhizome, roots, and stolons) of European
valerian, Valeriana officinalis L., is used as an official drug in
many European countries. There is no scientific agreement regarding
valerian’s active constituents, but sesquiterpenes, valerenic acid, and
acetoxyvalerenic acid have been used as quality control markers, usually
described simply as valerenic acid. Pharmaceutical products are
produced mainly from aqueous extracts or aqueous alcoholic extracts.
The two extract types are not equivalent. The aqueous extracts
are based on traditional teas with an herb to extract ratio of 5:1 (2 g
herb resulting in 400 mg extract). Aqueous alcoholic extracts are often
made with 70 percent ethanol, and have an herb to extract ratio of
4 to 7:1 (Schulz, Hänsel, and Tyler, 2001).

Valerian products are commonly formulated with lemon balm,
hops, or passionflower. In fact, the German Commission E has approved
the use of combinations in fixed proportions of passionflower
herb, valerian root, and lemon balm, as well as valerian with hops
(see the Information from Pharmacopoeial Monographs section)
(Blumenthal et al., 1998).

Valeriana officinalis

Traditional uses for valerian products include states of tension,
restlessness, irritability, unrest, and insomnia. Insomnia, is one of
several sleep disorders, defined as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty
sleeping through the night, frequent night awakenings, early awakening,
or unrefreshing sleep. It is most commonly a transient problem of
less than two weeks, but it can also be chronic. Primary insomnia is a
sleeping problem not associated with any other health problem. Secondary
insomnia is related to a health condition, such as depression,
heartburn, cancer, asthma, pain, or related to administration of a medication
or alcohol.

Sleep stages have been defined according to polysomnographic recordings,
including electroencephalograms (EEG). Stage 1 sleep is
the transition from drowsy wake to sleep, and Stage 2 is light sleep.
Stages 3 and 4 are deep sleep, also known as slow wave or delta sleep.
REM (rapid eye movement) sleep occurs in Stage 5, in which dreaming
 occurs. Sleep stages occur in cycles throughout the night (Pagel
and Parnes, 2001).

 Sedative/hypnotic agents are commonly prescribed to treat insomnia.
The benzodiazepines (i.e., flurazepam, oxazepam, trizolam) are
very effective at inducing sleep, but they also can suppress REM
sleep, may result in dependence, and can cause hangover effects the
morning after. Ethanol can assist with sleep, but can cause tolerance,
dependency, and diminished sleep efficiency and quality. Antihistamines
can help, but may lead to daytime sleepiness. Antidepressants
have also been used with some success if the individual also has
symptoms of depression (Pagel and Parnes, 2001).