Valeriana Officinalis: A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology

Abstract

Valeriana is a well-known Indian traditional medicinal herb with sleep remedy. It has been used over the years to treat nervine and sedative in hysteria, epilepsy, and sedative in nervous anxiety. It has also been used as an aromatic stimulant and reported some distinctive indications, as well as its use for rheumatism, low-grade fevers, and aphrodisiac. It has been known to grow well in regions of Europe, parts of Asia and North America. This systematic review focuses on the ethnopharmacological uses of Valeriana, including recent advances on the phytochemical and pharmacological study of Valeriana officinalis. In addition, future developments and scenarios in the study of the plant have been proposed. Various literature and electronic databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Springer, and Wiley were searched and data obtained. Other online academic libraries such as Google Scholar and ethnopharmacological literature were searched systematically for more information on the plant. In this paper, we have reviewed various research conducted on V. officinalis especially in areas of its ethnopharmacological use, phytochemicals, and pharmacology. This plant has been used medicinally for a minimum of 2000 years. It is used in the treatment of brain disorder and also used for the treatment of varied nervous disorders, antispasmodic, anthelmintic, diuretic, diaphoretic, and emmenagogue, and hysteria. More research is needed in the area of pharmacokinetics and toxicology to give further information on the clinical use and control the quality of the plant.

Beneficial Effects of Plant Extracts and Bioactive Food Components in Childhood Supplementation

“…The plant is native to Asia, Europe, and North America and is included in at least 20 pharmacopeias worldwide. Valerian contains a sesquiterpenoid, valerenic acid as the main constituent [46]. In Traditional medicine, the plant has been used in spasms, cardiac arrhythmias, insomnia, hysteria, hypochondriasis, emotional states, convulsions, digestive problems, and urinary tract infections [46,47].…”

Biotechnological Potential of Cephalaria uralensis (Murray) Roem. & Schult. and C. gigantea (Ledeb.) Bobrov—Comparative Analysis of Plant Anatomy and the Content of Biologically Active Substances

“…960 species) has a worldwide distribution range [1], but only a few species are used as medicinal plants. These include, e.g., Valeriana officinalis, which is traditionally used for the treatment of insomnia, mild nervous conditions, and menopausal symptoms and is recommended for the treatment of gastrointestinal pain and spastic colitis [2,3], Lonicera caprifolium with its diuretic, diaphoretic, and antibacterial effects, and L. japonica, used for the treatment of prostatitis and hypertension [2]. It should be emphasized that many Caprifoliaceae species have not yet been analyzed for the presence of high contents of secondary metabolites and their broad-sense medicinal use.…”

Comparative and Functional Screening of Three Species Traditionally used as Antidepressants: Valeriana officinalis L., Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Roxb. and Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC.

“…(Vj) and Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. (Nj) [12][13][14]. The roots of Vo and Nj, because of high commerce, are often fraudulently adulterated with other species [15].…”

“…Vo is a perennial herb common in North America, Europe, and Asia. Its rhizome is short and stoloniferous, and the roots are fibrous and have a characteristic smell [12]. Studies on Vo root extract have revealed many chemical compounds with a broad spectrum of biological activities on the CNS such as sesquiterpenes (valerenic acid and derivatives) and valepotriates, flavonoids, triterpenes, lignans, alkaloids, amino acids such as c-aminobutyric acid and γaminobutyric acid (GABA) as well as quinolinic acid with antioxidant and lipid peroxidation-decreasing effects [12,17].…”

“…Its rhizome is short and stoloniferous, and the roots are fibrous and have a characteristic smell [12]. Studies on Vo root extract have revealed many chemical compounds with a broad spectrum of biological activities on the CNS such as sesquiterpenes (valerenic acid and derivatives) and valepotriates, flavonoids, triterpenes, lignans, alkaloids, amino acids such as c-aminobutyric acid and γaminobutyric acid (GABA) as well as quinolinic acid with antioxidant and lipid peroxidation-decreasing effects [12,17]. In traditional medicine, Vo root has been used mainly for its sedative, hypnotic and anxiolytic properties in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease [18,19].…”