Джатаманасі

Nardostachys is a genus of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family, and Nardostachys jatamansi is its sole species. The plant is a perennial that grows in the Himalayas, primarily in a belt through Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan at elevations of 3,000-5,000 m. It also occurs in northern Myanmar and western and central China. The plant has pink, bell-shaped flowers. The spike in the English name spikenard refers to the inflorescence or flowering stem of the plant.

Sesquiterpenes contribute to the major portion of the volatile compounds of the oil, with jatamansone, also known as (-)-valeranone, being dominant. Many coumarins are also present in the oil. The alkaloid actinidine has been isolated from the oil, together with valerenal and valerenic acid. In essential oil of plants collected in Taplejung, Nepal, valeranone (37.42%), cadin-4-en-10-ol (28.07%) and patchouli alcohol (6.09%) were the major components. In oil from Gorkha, valeranone (40.24%), cadin-4-en-10-ol (29.99%) and patchouli alcohol (6.71%) were the major components. In oil from Jumla, dihydrotagetone (21.30%), valencene (16.58%), β-pinene (12.56%) and guaia-6,9-diene (10.93%) were the major components. Preliminary research on the plant indicates that it contains acaciin, ursolic acid, octacosanol, kanshone A, nardosinonediol, nardosinone, aristolen-9beta-ol, oleanolic acid and beta-sitosterol.

The plant is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is listed in CITES Appendix II. It is considered endangered due to overharvesting for folk medicine, overgrazing, loss of habitat, and forest degradation. Nard oil is also used as a sedative and as a herbal medicine said to fight insomnia, birth difficulties, and other minor ailments. Historically, the name nard has also referred to essential oils derived from other species, including the closely related valerian genus and Spanish lavender. These cheaper, more common plants have been used in perfume-making, and sometimes to adulterate true spikenard.

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