Валеріана

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is the type species of the genus Valeriana. The name of the herb comes from the personal name Valeria and the Latin verb valere (to be strong, healthy). The plant grows up to 1.5 m tall, rarely to 2 m. The flowers are produced from June to August and are sweetly scented, pale pink, occasionally white.

Valerian is native from Iceland south to Portugal, north to central Scandinavia, east to European Russia, and southeast to Iran. The plant is typically found in wet and dry meadows, wet woodlands, and marshes. The flowers attract many fly species, especially hoverflies of the genus Eristalis. The larvae of some butterfly and moth species, including the grey pug, feed on the plant. The young leaves can be cooked and the roots can be infused in hot beverages like hot chocolate. Valerian is considered potentially invasive by the US state of Connecticut, where it is officially banned.

Bornyl acetate is a major component of valerian oil. In total, 150 compounds were identified in the essential oils of 13 commercial samples of dried roots with rhizomes of V. officinalis from different countries. The principal compounds were bornyl acetate (1.6% to 27.1%), valeranone (0.5% to 17.9%), valerenal (0% to 14.7%), camphene (0% to 14.6%), α-fenchene (0% to 10.6%) and valerenic acid (0% to 8.5%). Isovaleric acid ranged from 0% to 44.6% in the same samples. In earlier studies of V. officinalis roots from Estonia and several other European countries, bornyl acetate reached up to 33.7%, α-fenchene 28.3% and valerianol 18.2%. Isovaleric acid was not detected in several samples, including those from Belgium, England, France, Hungary and the Netherlands. Three chemotypes were distinguished: bornyl acetate/valerenal, valeranone and isovaleric acid. Bornyl acetate, limonene and valeranone were consistently present in all 16 samples examined in one study and are proposed as marker compounds for the species. Monoterpenes are among the most prevalent constituents of the oil, notably borneol and its esters bornyl acetate and bornyl isovalerate. The European Pharmacopoeia sets a minimum essential oil concentration of 4 mL/kg and a minimum valerenic acid content of 0.17% (m/m), and only six of the 13 samples met the oil requirement.

Bornyl acetate (CAS 76-49-3), C₁₂H₂₀O₂, is the acetate ester of the terpenoid borneol. Valerenic acid (CAS 3569-10-6), C₁₅H₂₂O₂, is a sesquiterpenoid constituent of the essential oil of the valerian plant. Valeranone has the formula C₁₅H₂₆O and a molecular weight of 222.37. Sesquiterpenes contained in the volatile oil include valerenic acid, hydroxyvalerenic acid and acetoxyvalerenic acid. Alkaloids detected in valerian include actinidine, chatinine, shyanthine, valerianine and valerine. The plant also contains the flavanones hesperidin, 6-methyl apigenin and linarin, and iridoids including valepotriates.

Valerenic acid acts as a subtype-selective positive allosteric modulator of the GABA-A receptor. Valerenic acid may be at least partly responsible for valerian's sedative effects, together with hydroxyvalerenic acid and acetoxyvalerenic acid. Valerian supplements are often standardized to contain a particular amount of valerenic acid by weight, often 0.8%. Valerian is used as a herbal sedative which may be helpful in the treatment of insomnia. The plant contains the alkaloid actinidine.

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