Valerian
This book is available in the John R. Martin Rare Book Room in Hardin Library for the Health Sciences.
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Valeriana officinalis is a member of the Honeysuckle Family (Caprifoliaceae), native to Europe and Asia but now grown all over the world (Spinella, 2001). A perennial growing up to one or two meters tall (3–6 feet), it has dark green, pinnately compound leaves with serrated leaflets along the stem and at the base of the plant. It bears white to pinkish flowers in terminal clusters and produces an offensive odor when the roots are dry and exposed (Eadie, 2004). For centuries an ointment from Valerian officinalis has been used in China, Egypt, and Greece, as well as other countries throughout Europe, to treat sleep disorders (Gooneratne, 2008). During the 18th and 19th centuries, valerian was also used in Europe as a popular anticonvulsant remedy to treat epilepsy (Eadie, 2004). One study has shown that the root extract improves the quality of sleep for women who suffer sleep disorders as they progress through menopause (Bent et al. 2006).
Historical use
Nicholas Culpeper’s English Physician and Complete Herbal published in 1789 includes historical information on the use of Valerian. The root was boiled with licorice and raisins and ingested to treat coughs and remove phlegm. It was boiled in wine to treat a bite or sting from a venomous animal. A drop of boiled Valerian was applied to the eye to remove any dimness of sight and alleviate any eye pain. It was also used to treat any internal or external wounds and remove splinter or thorns.
Latest Research
- Using herbal remedies in shelterby Anna Ganna P Megalinska on June 17, 2025 at 10:00 am
CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The use of the studied plants in a shelter phyto-aid kit contributes to a more comfortable and safe stay for people in the shelter.
- Over-the-counter products for insomnia in adults: A scoping review of randomised controlled trialsby Adriana Salame on March 7, 2025 at 11:00 am
CONCLUSIONS: Over-the-counter products show promising, but inconclusive findings in alleviating insomnia symptoms in adults. Future research should focus on investigating products currently used in real life, consider economic evaluations, and be evaluated in populations with co-morbidities and ethnic minorities, to better guide clinical advice.
- Use of herbal medicinal products among patients in primary health care in a Brazilian southeastern city: evidence from the Prover projectby Betania Barros Cota on November 13, 2024 at 11:00 am
CONCLUSION: Despite the low use of herbal medicinal products, users face a high potential for interactions and therapeutic redundancy. Special attention should be paid to patients taking herbal medicinal products and allopathic medicines concurrently. Women with anxiety, mood disorders, or depression were more likely to use herbal medicinal products, whereas non-white people were 48% less likely to use them, suggesting potential socioeconomic disparities in access.
- Unveiling the potential of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for growth promotion and phytochemical enrichment in Valeriana jatamansi Jonesby Ashwani Tapwal on July 1, 2024 at 10:00 am
Medicinal plants are rich sources of pharmaceutically important compounds and have been utilized for the treatment of various diseases since ancient times. Valeriana jatamansi Jones, also known as Indian valerian, holds a special place among temperate Himalayan medicinal plants and is renowned for its therapeutic properties in addressing a variety of ailments. The therapeutic potential of V. jatamansi is attributed to the presence of valuable compounds such as valepotriates, sesquiterpenoids,…
- Herbal and Non-Herbal Dietary Supplements for Psychiatric Indications: Considerations in Liver Transplantationby Shivali Patel on June 28, 2024 at 10:00 am
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) modalities are widely employed. However, TCIM, specifically herbal and non-herbal dietary supplements, can pose challenges in the context of organ transplantation. In this review, we discuss common supplements used for psychiatric purposes and highlight important considerations for candidates and recipients of liver transplants.
References
Eadie, M. J. (2004). Could valerian have been the first anticonvulsant? Epilepsia, 45(11), 1338-1343. doi:10.1111/j.0013-9580.2004.27904.x
Gooneratne, N. S. (2008). Complementary and alternative medicine for sleep disturbances in older adults. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 24(1), 121-138, viii. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2007.08.002
Spinella, M. (2001). Herbal Medicines and Epilepsy: The Potential for Benefit and Adverse Effects. Epilepsy & Behavior, 2(6), 524-532. doi:10.1006/ebeh.2001.0281