Talk:Valerian (herb)

Efficacy comment for RLS and anxiety disorders misrepresents the conclusions of the cited studies

The article here states unequivocally that valerian is not effective for treating RLS and anxiety, citing sources 23 and 24. Both of those studies concluded that there was insufficient evidence and recommended randomized clinical trials be undertaken to establish the safety and efficacy of valerian for those indications. The body of research cited in these articles is woefully insufficient to conclude for or against efficacy and safety. One of the cited articles makes that very point, noting that the review they undertook had to rely on a single small study. The article should be changed to properly state that it is not established to be effective or ineffective.

Valerian in Agatha Christie novels

It says citation is needed. I know that one book at least mentions this, Five Little Pigs, and it is mentioned in the article. I am not sure how to cite this properly. I hope to eventually read the 2nd novel, and cite them both here then. olya 05:58, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

Cite the page, ISBN, author and name of the book and create a Trivia or In popular culture section and write a relative paragraph. When citing, you can do everything automatically after your written paragraph by using the icon at the top of the edit page. Hope that helps.--78.86.159.199 (talk) 00:36, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

In Agatha Christie's crime novel Murder on the Orient Express, the villain Samuel Ratchett takes valerian in order to fall asleep. Cwkmail (talk) 13:20, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Kierkegaard

I just read that Kierkegaard (the Danish philosopher) took Valerian late in his life, while he was hospitalized: http://www.newyorker.com/critics/books/articles/050328crbo_books

strangeness

An anon keeps putting the following phrase into the article:

May produce sensations of "strangeness" in some individuals. These persons should not use valerian.

This statement is also found on several other non-wikipedia websites, word for word or nearly so.

Questions and Answers About Valerian for Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders Office of Dietary Supplements * National Institutes of Health notes that problems have been reported in clinical trials, but not confirmed as being due to valerian. A very old reference, A Compend of Materia Medica, Therapeutics, and Prescription Writing by Sam'l O. L. Potter, M.D., M.R.C.P.L., 1902., notes that it can cause "mental disturbance" which can "proceed even to delirium, while hallucinations and excitement are usually produced, together with great restlessness and spasmodic movements of the limbs." -- WormRunner | Talk 20:47, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Effects

Most individuals will find Valerian has little/no effect. It is mainly placebo.

Useful how that doesnt have a source.. also, why does it say it isn't linked to Valium? By that standard should it also say that it isn't related to every other drug or herb that it isn't related to? I'm sure the average user isn't going to make a semantic link between them... He who says zonk 14:23, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

The idea that valerian is a placebo is ridiculous. The valium/valerian semantic link however is a common mistake among beginner gardeners/herbalists in my experience. -- WormRunner | Talk 19:53, 13 November 2005 (UTC)

I have to say that I always thought that. Calming herb beginning val-, calming drug beginning val-, surely that couldn't be a coincidence? So I think it's worth specifying that it is. Daibhid C 16:28, 2 January 2006 (UTC)

It is not a coincidence. The makers of Valium named it so, to evoke Valerian, a well-known soporific.

Just wanted to say that i have taking valerian recently and it made my mind race with thoughts and left me in a semi-wake state for about for hours.During these hours it felt very relaxing but edgy at the same time.It really does have a strange effect that i havnt felt since the time i took magic mushrooms when i was a teenager.After the high of the mushrooms i went to bed and was in a trance like state half asleep half awake,almost like on a different freq or something.This is the best way i can explain it.For me it keeps me awake.(89.204.203.37 (talk) 05:32, 28 March 2011 (UTC))

Valerian root does have verifiable sedative properties. My own anecdotal experience confirms this, and it also has a tendency to induce vivid dreams.

I'd have to say that the statement "it's just a placebo" is false. I use it to get to sleep when I am stressed out and it's a great alternative to to using Xanax for panic attacks. However when I use Valerian or any other drug/supplement to get me to sleep, I usually don't have or can't remember my dreams, unlike the person who posted above me.

The above comment about "placebo" is nonsense; valerian is one of the few herbal remedies that has had serious scientific studies that consistently show it has at least SOME effect on insomnia and anxiety, although the effects are mild. It occasionally works very well for this commenter. HOWEVER, I find that commercial preparations of valerian vary widely in strength and efficacy. No doubt manufacturers are sometimes "cutting" it with something else that's inert, although I don't know why they would. 128.230.239.88 (talk) 18:23, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

There is nothing here to contradict the original poster's suggestion that valerian is no more than a placebo. Indeed, most of the disagreements seem to suggest that the posters don't know how placebos work (and they DO work - very well).

For two authoratative reviews of studies which concludes that there is little or no evidence for valerian's effectiveness as a drug, see http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band81/b81-7.html and

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/valerian.asp . Cooke (talk) 20:54, 18 April 2008 (UTC)

It is not a placebo effect; the fact that the analogue of one of its constituents Valeric Acid (valproic acid) is used in pharmaceutical medicine and the effects of Valerenic Acid on the GABA receptors is enough to prove Valerian has chemical activity in the body. Your cross analysis with placebo effects in this case is similar to saying paracetamol's analgesic activity is placebo too. Valerian is extremely noticeable above 2500mg (standardized extract). Although not a recommended dose, for those of you who think it produces a placebo effect, try the aforementioned dose, and you will most certainly change your mind. Many herbal supplement manufacturers always recommend doses that are far lower than the active dose in order to adhere to the regulatory guidelines, the most sensitive people in our society and also to minimize blame based risks associated with higher doses.

Any medication, at a lower than active dose will appear to have little or no effect, even THC at an extremely low dose will impair a right judgment as to whether it is a placebo effect or real. Apart from Valerenic acid there are also many other active alkaloids and acids in Valerian. Whether they help insomnia, cause depression or stimulation is really upto how the subject wishes to welcome the feeling, but one thing that is 100% certain, is that Valerian is certainly not inactive. Placebo studies normally cross compare an active substance with an inactive substance, the latter being the placebo (Normally, flour, Vitamin-C or similar). Valerian is proved active. What can be argued here, is whether it is good for insomnia, or that its chemically active but does not produce any noticeable mood altering effects (e.g. Atenolol is a blood pressure medicine that is active, but does not produce any mood altering effects, similarly Paracetamol is active but does not alter the mood). Many people today still find Paracetamol ineffective against pain, but many find it extremely effective. It's really up to the individual too, some people are mentally strong or meditate regularly with a strong resistance to mood alterations, and some are more chemically dependent on things to get by and notice Valerian's effects more.--78.86.159.199 (talk) 00:54, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Mitch: I just wanted to add my two cents on the topic of Valerian Root being a "Placebo" effect. Anecdotal evidence is exactly that: anecdotal. So you can get mad at me for sharing "anecdotal" evidence, or you could read up and see the two or three other people with the exact same "anecdote", then ask yourself at what point does "anecdotal" evidence become "statistical" evidence. And in my opinion, that point is the point where it becomes profitable for someone to do so. Since Valerian is a plant found commonly in nature, it's hard to get a monopoly on its availability (sound familiar? *cough* Marijuana *cough*). So, in my personal experience, as someone who has been dealing with Anxiety and Insomnia for years, and has tried many different medicines, I can confirm that Valerian root DOES INDEED have an effect on both Anxiety and Insomnia. Valerian root helps me relax and even helps me to go to sleep. Not only do I find it easy to sleep, I find myself wanting to sleep as well. Now, if it was a PLACEBO, then when I used Melatonin, which may or may not be "scientifically" proven, why didn't I have the same results? After all, I'm just popping a pill, believing it will help me sleep, and then thanks to the placebo I'm gonna sleep and it's gonna work! So that explains why it worked with Diphenhydramine, Melatonin, Doxylamine, etc, right? Except it didn't. Those drugs affect me totally different and aren't that effective for me. Does a pill has to be "inert" for it to have a placebo effect? That would be ridiculous... Give me a sugar pill, give me Valerian root, and only one of them will put me to sleep. Checkmate. I think a lot of people judge the effectiveness of substances for particular uses by expecting dramatic results to be shown on some clinical study. If a small standardized dose doesn't instantly knock people out the same way powerful benzodiazepines do, it's considered "ineffective" for use as a sleep aid. But I contend that you don't need a horse tranquilizer to help you sleep, and I GUARANTEE that some people will find exactly what they need out of Valerian root!65.36.45.253 (talk) 15:58, 2 August 2018 (UTC)

Also Mitch: Also, want to note something about the effectiveness of Valerian root, and the studies. In personal experience, Valerian root takes 2-3 hours to begin to affect me. I saw some studies that instructed people to take 30 minutes before bed time and 60 minutes before bed time, and I think that would cause morning grogginess to take valerian at bed time as opposed to a few hours before. And I removed some vulgarity.

-- I changed the wording slightly in the article where it referred to GABA_A receptors as benzodiazepine receptors. That's not strictly true, as only a subset of GABAARs are sensitive to benzos. Just explaining my change. -angrywhiterabbit —Preceding unsigned comment added by Angrywhiterabbit (talk • contribs) 16:03, 2 April 2010 (UTC)

Valium

Any reason for the anti-confusion Valium note? I really can't see anyone making this connection, any more than thinking the drug is called "Valium" because it's a good "value". Any objections to removing it? Alvis 02:33, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

I object. Just because you can't see anyone making that connection does not mean it has not been made. I have corrected people confused on this point more than a few times. -- WormRunner 03:16, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

Fair enough. I've never ran into anyone who's made that confusion, but if they're out there, then let's leave it in. Alvis 05:07, 10 May 2006 (UTC)

I took it for the first time last night (9-4-06) on the advice of my mother-in-law. I can confirm the anecdotal report of vivid dreams. The most vivid of my life, the scariest of my life and the first "wet dream" since my adolescent days. I will never take it again as I am still anxious 3 hours after waking.

Was that valium or valerian that caused the dreams and the errr accident?--I don't like football 03:45, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

It might be mentioned, that the drug Diazepam was first marketed under the trade-name Valium, chosen for its similarity to the word Valerian (but there is no chemical relationship between the two). — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 (talk) 08:32, 29 December 2018 (UTC)

St. Valerian

Is it named after St. Valerian (perhaps because of when it blooms, like St. John's Wort)? That would be a good thing to add to the Valerian/Valium note. Also, the St. Valerian article is a major stub. Snowboardpunk

I heard similarly. Try to find some sources and get back. So far, the Latin explanation for Valerian is without a source and could well be false. --78.86.159.199 (talk) 01:13, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

The Online Etymology Dictionary gives the Latin name as the origin as well and doesn't relate it to any specific Valerius (saint or otherwise). aineolach (u · d · c) 15:51, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

Effects on Cats and Rats

Its a small thing I know but i cringe every time I see or hear 'so much so...' as in _{"Valerian is also very attractive to rats, so much so that it has been used to bait traps."} its just sounds like the author (no discredit to you) just couldn't think up the best words to express the sentence. Perhaps _{' Rats are highly attracted to it, to the extent that it has been used as rat trap bait'} or somthing along those lines maybe. --I don't like football 03:42, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

I agree. Many people today are using substandard English, whether they are mentally lazy to speak or write properly or whether the media is to be blamed is up for question. But one thing is certain, and that is an encyclopedic article needs to retain subjective lingual correctiveness and to state "is very attractive", "so much so" are incorrect in this context. A more correct way is to state that "Most rats are olfactorily attracted by Valerian odor which is one of the main reasons many rat traps and baits incorporate a valerian derivative as an olfactory attractant". --78.86.159.199 (talk) 01:26, 21 August 2008 (UTC)I agree with this.

I don't believe "so much so" is incorrect here. It just means so "very attractive to rats" (much so) that it has been used to bait traps. It makes more grammatical sense than the first proposed revision, and is far more direct than the second. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.115.56.194 (talk) 01:37, 16 September 2010 (UTC) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Personal Account

My Personal experience with this,

I took it for the first time Sunday, and again today, the calming effect came on smooth and subtle, and faded away a few hours later just the same. I am not taking this to help me sleep, I am taking it to try to prevent another panic/anxiety attack from occuring. which I had went to the ER for a few weeks ago. I want to try an herbal route before I end up having to take some prescription pill like atavan every day for the rest of my life. I dont want that, and I would rather have tried everything else first.

Valerian root , and valium, have NOTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER, chemically or otherwise. The only thing similar between the 2 is the letters VAL in the names. thats it.

I'm only on day 2 of this stuff, (500mg Sundown Brand, capsules ) It could be in my head, or it could be physical, but I did feel pretty relaxed about 45 minutes after taking one pill. not to the point of laying down, just ..relaxed.. peaceful. I felt good. Again, it could be in my head, it could be from the pill. A few more days and I will have a better idea if Valerian Root is a joke or has some real effects.

John L

valium and valerian affect the same receptors in the brain, but the names have no relation, if you want natrual valium try a potato. also what if you drank alcohol while on valerian?

Yes, Valerian and Valium both affect the GABA receptors, however in detail, they do differ in their mechanism of action, Diazepam does not directly affect GABA levels, but affects the benzodiazepine GABA complex where as Valerenic acid is a GABA agonist. Valerian also has a few active alkaloids and acids whereas Valium (Diazepam) is singular in its method of action, so its comparing a cocktail of active substances (Valerian extract) with just one substance (Diazepam). Well done for sticking with natural remedies, most pharmaceutical remedies for conditions similar to yours are addictive both mentally and physically with withdrawals that sometimes surpass that of an opioid or alcohol withdrawal. I do however think 500mg may be a too of a safe dose, if you feel that you cannot distinguish its effects, then try to up your dose until you can. Good luck, and remember, panic attacks can be cured by mental training, self hypnosis, meditation and changing the way you handle and grasp situations that may induce panic. --78.86.159.199 (talk) 01:35, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

---

I've just removed the following from the article: I have been taking Valerian for over 10 years off and on prior to going to sleep. I have found it to be a wonderful sleep aid. The next morning, wake feeling refreshed and relaxed. Valerian helps you to fall asleep quickly and then to sleep threw the night. It seems to also help calm my IBS slightly. It is the best herb. I take it in large quantities of 6 tablets before going to sleep for years. I strongly recommend this herb for anxiety, PMS, insomnia, agitation, IBS.

I as going to put up a note for cleanup, but I think it's really something that belongs in the talk pages, if anywhere, as it's simply a personal account from a user. Alphamatrix (talk) 08:35, 4 April 2009 (UTC)

Proposed merger

I propose that Valerian (medication) and Valerian (plant) be merged into a new page "Valerian".—Who123 18:33, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Due to the clear redundancy of the two articles and lack of response, I will probably proceed with the merger. Any help is appreciated. If the page "Valerian" is not available then "Valerian (herb)" may be used. Any suggestions on the page name would be appreciated.—Who123 12:21, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Merger begun under the page name Valerian (herb).—Who123 14:14, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Although the merger is complete, there is still cleanup to do. For example, I included all of the articles that linked to the article before the merger in "See also". I will help with this as time allows.—Who123 14:51, 17 April 2007 (UTC)

Greetings! I'm not sure anyone saw your proposed merger before you completed it. I happened along from patrolling the Plant articles by quality log. Proposed mergers and things of that nature can also be discussed at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Plants. (Why not join our project if you haven't already?) As for the merger, I didn't take the time to see if the two articles were redundant, but in general things of this nature should be guided by the flora naming convention. The preference in this case is to have two separate articles--one to describe the plant product or use in society (such as coffee) and another to describe the species that are used to create the familiar product (i.e. Coffea arabica). For example, aside from the taxobox, this article really doesn't discuss the plant at all. I would remove the taxobox from this page and create the Valeriana officinalis article to discuss the botanical history, taxonomy, species description, etc. there. Durian is another great example of a page that would benefit from splitting. In fact, I should go work on that. Cheers, --Rkitko ^(talk) 05:57, 21 April 2007 (UTC)

Hi! The two articles were redundant. I suspect that most of the general public interest in Valerian is as an herb rather than as a plant. It is similar to St John's wort in this respect. Although I like plants, my interest leans more to how they can be used in health and nutrition. If you wish to create a Valeriana officinalis article to discuss the pure botanical aspects that seems reasonable. I find it odd to have the boxes at the top of this page saying that this article is part of Plants and Cats projects. Perhaps they should be removed?—Who123 16:23, 22 April 2007 (UTC)

That's fine, then. For now it can stay as one article, but perhaps it would be pertinent to move toward the goal of having two articles and then removing the taxobox from this one. It doesn't matter what your interests in plants are--it matters more what is considered to be encyclopedic when thinking about inclusion. Botanical information is certainly encyclopedic. The project tags are used by WikiProjects to assess and keep track of article progress. They are very important. Cheers, --Rkitko ^(talk) 01:50, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

Just tried Valerian root - xanax combination for insomnia/anxiety. In my case it resulted in the worst night terrors of my life, and interrupted sleep as a result. It has been suggested that some people cannot absorb the herbal suppliment as others and may cause adverse effects such as those of which i've mentioned. Personally, I'd say use caution.—Who123 16:23, 22 April 2007 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.56.244.51 (talk)

Valerian should remain synonymous with similar plants such as the St. Johns Wort article. The constituents of Valerian (Valerenic Acid, Valeric Acid) having their own article is enough to explain the activity of each alkaloid/acid in detail with a collective description on the Valerian article in regards to its medicinal values. There is no need for a seperate article in regards to its medicinal purposes. --78.86.159.199 (talk) 02:58, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Section Merger

There's some repetition of information between Mechanism of action and Medicinal use. Perhaps the redundant passages can be edited out and Mechanism of action can be made into a subsection of Medicinal use.--71.105.214.189 (talk) 16:12, 20 September 2009 (UTC)

Mechanism of Action

There is a paper out (Khom et al. 2007, Neuropharmacology, doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2007.04.018) reporting that valerenic acid has a stimulatory effect on GABA_A receptors containing β₂ subunits, similar to that of barbiturates. In contrast to barbiturates, however, high concentrations of valerenic acid block the receptor. This may explain its mechanism of action and why it is much less toxic than barbiturates. GABA itslef won't cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore the high GABA content in valerian cannot explain its mechanism of action in vivo. 193.171.174.141 13:06, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

Please read the Valerenic Acid article. Yes, Valerenic Acid and Valeric Acid (If the Iran study is true) are one of the main active substances in Valerian. It's also scientifically false to base Valerians effects on just valerenic acid when there are further active alkaloids and acids in Valerian. This study would be true for Valerenic Acid and less so for Valerian as a whole. Also, a study in Iran found that Valeric Acid in the body can be transformed into an active acid. And yes, the phenobarbital activity has been proven. --78.86.159.199 (talk) 01:51, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

I just read this http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18066140 it mentions that valerian extract increased glutamic acid decarboxylase activity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.248.192.104 (talk) 07:41, 18 November 2010 (UTC)

booze antidote

i have taken valerian after drinking and it seems to reverse the effects of alcohol, 3 valerians (500mg) seemed to reverse all of the effects of 2 shots of whisky. maybe it antagonises whichever receptor alcohol binds to, it maybe reduce the effects of anxiogenic chemicals in the brain. —Preceding unsigned comment added by The Right Honourable (talk • contribs) 05:57, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This strikes me as interesting, and I may do some experimenting on myself to verify or deny the claim. Taking a shot at an explanation, I believe it is unlikely that Valerian acts as an antagonist on GABA sites (the same locations at which ethyl alcohol, benzodiazapenes, barbiturates, and other hypnotics are agonists), since everything I have read so far suggests that its effect is agonistic. However, the active compounds may act as competitive agonists, crowding out ethanol at the GABAa receptor sites. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.158.163.100 (talk) 18:53, 18 January 2009 (UTC)

Contradiction?

this article says "Typical dosages of the crude herb vary from 2-10 grams per day. Valerian root is non-toxic but may cause side effects in excessive doses."

but then goes on to say

"Large doses (500+mg) or chronic use may result in stomach ache, apathy, and a feeling of mental dullness or mild depression"

this should be cleaned up, I am guessing that it is some confusion between the raw herb and concentrate, but I am not a herbalist.--UltraMagnus (talk) 13:09, 11 September 2008 (UTC)

Yes, the 500mg refers to Valerian Extracts, and the gram dosages refer to the raw herb itself. However, even the Valerian Extract (500mg) dose is uncertain, as there exists many different types and potency of extracts, the typical being 30%. 500mg is by no means a large dose for Valerian Extract in the form of capsules/pills. The typical capsule is 450mg itself, so the 500+mg is very doubtful as it would mean 1 pill is already hitting the 500mg "large dose". I guess the chronic use aspect to that sentence may be true, but it certainly is not dependent on the dose but rather the frequency of use. --93.97.181.187 (talk) 23:09, 16 October 2008 (UTC)

isovaltrate

it is stated that isovaltrate is an agonist of the adenosine A1 receptor, which is not strictly true. It is an inverse agonist, and therefore would have the opposite effect, and would reverse the sedating effects of valerian extract as a whole. it has been shown, that hydrophilic extracts show agonist activity at the A1 receptor, where as hydophobic extracts show inverse agonistic activity. isovaltrate is a hydrophobic molecule, and therefore shows inverse agonist activity, so i think someone should mention this. (im no expert, so i think it would be best if someone with more knowledge should put this in)

Interaction of valerian extracts of different polarity with adenosine receptors: Identification of Isovaltrate as an inverse agonist at A1 receptors, Muller et al, 2006

thats the paper i got the info from]

rob

AASM Position Statement, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Self-Help

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASMnet.org) provides accreditation for sleep clinics and academic sleep programs. The December 31, 2006 AASM position statement “Treating Insomnia with Over-the-Counter Sleep Aids” states: “The primary forms of treatment for insomnia are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and prescription medications. Research shows that both of these treatment options can improve the quality and quantity of sleep for people with insomnia.”

The chapter on insomnia by Kypri and Cunningham in The Handbook of Self-Help Therapies (edited by Patti Lou Watkins and George A. Clum, Routledge, 2007), says that while many people with insomnia find it difficult to access CBT for this problem, studies have shown self-help treatments to be effective. Several popular books, they say, are based on tested principles, including No More Sleepless Nights by Hauri, Say Goodnight to Insomnia by Jacobs, and Can’t Sleep, Can’t Stay Awake: A Woman’s Guide to Sleep Disorders, by Kryger. R Waldo WCU (talk) 15:07, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Science

Could we get some actual science content here rather than a bunch of anecdotes and an article with more "citation needed" than anything I've seen in weeks on Wikipedia?

Yes, I'm sure this works for some people, but I'd like to see some facts to back up how and why it works.

Ddiggler2000 (talk) 11:24, 10 September 2010 (UTC)

Valeric acid or Isovaleric acid ?

I have found no scientific evidence that Valeriana officialis contains valeric acid (a.k.a. pentanoic acid); however, many scientific studies confirm the presence of isovaleric acid. (For example: (1) M. Morvai and I. Molnár-Perl (January 1988) "Gas chromatographic analysis of the carboxylic acid composition of valeriana extracts," Chromatographia, vol. 25, no. 1, page 37-42; see especially page 40 ; (2) A. Safaralie, S. Fatemi, and F. Sefidkon (8 February 2008) "Essential oil composition of Valeriana officinalis L. roots cultivated in Iran: Comparative analysis between supercritical CO₂ extraction and hydrodistillation," Journal of Chromatography A, vol. 1180, pages 159-164.) Only herbal medicine Web sites claim that valeric acid is present in Valeriana officialis. Accordng to Houghton, valeric acid appears merely as a breakdown product of valepotriates when the later are heated above 40 C. (See: Peter J. Houghton, ed., Valerian: the genus Valeriana (Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 1997), page 123.) The confusion between valeric and isovaleric acid may be due to the fact that in the nineteenth century, "valeric acid" referred to any compound having the empirical formula C₄H₉CO₂H, and there are 4 isomers that have that formula -- including both valeric acid (pentanoic acid) and isovaleric acid. (See Encyclopaedia Britannica (1911), vol. 27, page 859.)

Cwkmail (talk) 11:55, 16 December 2010 (UTC)

I would add that any "valeric acid" (pentanoic acid) that is found in Valeriana officinalis seems to be an artifact of the extraction process; that is, the complex valpotriates degrade upon exposure to the heat and the strong alkalis that are used during the extraction process, and among the resulting break-down products is pentanoic acid. Furthermore, as early as 1840, French chemists Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Jean-Servais Stas produced "acide valérique" from "potato oil" and found it to be identical both to the "acide valérique" that was obtained from Valeriana officinalis and to "l'acide phocénique", a fatty acid which was obtained from dolphins by French chemist Chevreul in 1817 and which is known to be isovaleric acid. (See: J. Dumas and J-S Stas (1840) "Second mémoire: Sur les types chimiques," Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 2nd series, vol. 73, pages 113-167; see especially pages 131 and 144.) Thus as early as 1840, the principal fatty acid in Valeriana officinalis was known to be isovaleric acid.

Cwkmail (talk) 18:38, 17 December 2010 (UTC)

Addiction

The word gets avoided. Why? Is Valerian addictive or not? The article should address this with proper citations.

Telemachus.forward (talk) 10:14, 9 January 2011 (UTC)

What makes you think it's avoided? aineolach (u · d · c) 15:39, 6 February 2011 (UTC)

Valerian use in Iran?

Have just removed a line that was in History reading 'Also, in Iran it is smoked and injected for recreational purposes.'

Feel free to post again with citation —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.210.96.48 (talk) 23:33, 28 January 2011 (UTC)

"The main some evidence of effectiveness"

"The main some evidence of effectiveness." The sentence is incomplete. JmCor (talk) 03:42, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Comments by 69.60.103.173

NOT an edit, just a comment: The prior section says the "standardized" form is preferable... this section says there is a "lack of standardization". These statements are mutually exclusive.

Also the prior section says "percentage" of valine is the "standard" of quantification (paraphrased). This section uses "grams per day" as the only units of measure. This is a derivative conflict: If % is "standard" or "typical", why list only grams in dosing?

These points of disconnection are confusing at best. References for each section might help to clarify. No offense to prior contributors is intended. Thanks for attempting to add to our knowledge base. Sincerely, Concerned Reader - no sources referenced, just basic reading comprehension.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.60.103.173 (talk • contribs) 9 September 2012‎

Insomnia

I realize studies can product conflicting results, but there are simply too many contradictions in this subsection for it to be of much use to anyone. Also, as you've probably already noticed, there are tons of unverified claims here without citations. Some have been tagged for over 6 months. If anyone has citations that you can add, please do so before the unverified material is removed from the article. Thank you! 5-HT₈ (talk) 22:58, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

Content pulled from article, needs verifiable citations

This was good content that could remain in the article if the claims were adequately supported by references and properly cited, and if necessary, re-written to avoid blatant contradictions.

“ Valerian has been shown to have positive results on users with insomnia who wake up during the night. When used as a sleeping aid, valerian appears to be most effective on users who have difficulty falling asleep. ”

“ Some studies have demonstrated that valerian extracts interact with the GABAreceptors. ”

“ Valerian is also used traditionally to treat gastrointestinal pain and irritable bowel syndrome. However, long term safety studies are absent. ”

5-HT₈ (talk) 23:35, 14 March 2013 (UTC)

References

Fragrance and other nasalities

The article reads "Though some people remain partial to the earthy scent, some may find it to be unpleasant, comparing the odor to that of unwashed feet"

Not only is earthy a misleading adjective, the use of the word scent is also much too polite. Valerian root that has been prepared in a form for oral use has an odor. Other people agree with me that, when incidentally sniffing it after the container was first opened, it has all the characteristics of young and active (i.e. not fully decomposed) vegetable compost. I have no information about the effect it has upon the breath of a person who has taken the root orally. But if the above is anything to go by, it would be unpleasant. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.226.103.17 (talk) 07:15, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

Valerian etymology

There are some explainations: in Latin "valere"" was a verb that indicates "to be healty" http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/valere/ from which we have "valeo" ("sano") and valerian http://www.etimo.it/?term=valeriana Another explanation is the herb was found richly in Pannonia Valeria today south Hungary http://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/valeriana/ Last there was a folk tale about the first user named Valerio http://books.google.it/books?id=VBz8ayaYxfcC&pg=PA355&dq=valeriana+valerio&hl=it&sa=X&ei=KUM0U4PCE-bI4ASgmIGACw&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=valeriana%20valerio&f=false --Adriano G. V. Esposito (talk) 15:27, 27 March 2014 (UTC)

I have added on that to the article, using other references though. Materialscientist (talk) 00:13, 28 March 2014 (UTC)

Recent edits

Hkim0488 is repeatedly adding content to this article which is biomedical in nature yet is not sourced to sources which are WP:MEDRS compliant. Please ensure any such content is backed by good sources. Alexbrn ^{talk|contribs|COI} 16:31, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Alexbrn Are you saying that I cannot cite from any of the sources I've used? Hkim0488 ^{talk|contribs|COI} 16:31, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Correct. We can't use primary research to source health information, as it may be unsound. Alexbrn ^{talk|contribs|COI} 18:14, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Hkim0488 please read the guidelines at WP:MEDRS in regard to the sourcing of medical articles on Wikipedia, especially as regards the identification and use of secondary sources. Most of the sources you have been adding to the article are primary sources. A primary source in medicine is one in which the authors directly participated in the research or documented their personal experiences. They examined the patients, injected the rats, filled the test tubes, or at least supervised those who did. Many, but not all, papers published in medical journals are primary sources for facts about the research and discoveries made... Primary sources should generally not be used for health related content, because the primary biomedical literature is exploratory and not reliable - any given primary source may be contradicted by another, and the Wikipedia community relies on the guidance of expert reviews, and statements of major medical and scientific bodies, to provide guidance on any given issue. Please see also Wikipedia:Consensus. Ochiwar (talk) 20:08, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

No evidence, but a substantial body of evidence? Which is it?

Although valerian is a popular herbal medicine used for treating insomnia, there is no good evidence it is effective for this purpose, and there is some concern it may be harmful.[23]

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the claim that valerian can be used as a traditional herbal medicinal product in order to relieve mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep. The EMA stated that there is a substantial body of evidence available that makes the traditional use of valerian plausible.[26]

these paragraphs directly contradict each other,and lead to a very confusing section of article. 184.170.93.22 (talk) 04:02, 7 September 2016 (UTC)

It needs re-writing, but actually these are not entirely contradictory. The EMA says that "traditional use" is not harmful and there's evidence that it's "plausible". There is no good evidence that it's actually "effective". "Plausible" is not "effective". Peter coxhead (talk) 08:02, 7 September 2016 (UTC)

EMA has a (very) low bar for accepting a claim, in this instance traditional use. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the EU organization charged with evaluating dietary supplements. As of August 2017, the EFSA has not evaluated valerian. David notMD (talk) 20:49, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

Smell

Whether it's a sedative or not, this stuff smells absolutely wonderful IMHO. 24.51.217.118 (talk) 03:45, 8 October 2016 (UTC)

Your experience is atypical. Most of us experience the odour as strongly remini-scent of dirty gym socks. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.124.116.101 (talk) 04:43, 5 February 2018 (UTC)

Effect on cats in lead

Hi. The cited edit "Its roots and leaves are one of three alternatives for the one-third of domesticated or medium-sized cats who do not feel the effects of catnip." was removed from the lead. A few points in favor of returning the sentence and cites. It summarizes information appearing later in the page, which is the purpose of a good lead. It's an important fact for the readers, as this use is beneficial and interesting, and most cat owners may not know about it (from personal conversations). And it's an appropriate topic for the sentence in the lead which discusses uses of the plant, as it quickly summarizes a major use. I hope the striking editor can reconsider, thanks. Randy Kryn (talk) 15:28, 11 May 2018 (UTC)

It's a low-weight topic, WP:UNDUE. --Zefr (talk) 15:35, 11 May 2018 (UTC)

Seems like a very good topic in terms of uses, inter-species social connections, and potential reader interest. Doesn't seem undue, unless you have a source which refutes the statement. And if you need to put more uses in the lead, please do so (I see you've trimmed the lead quite a bit), but this one seems appropriate for lead mention. Randy Kryn (talk) 15:39, 11 May 2018 (UTC)

No response in this discussion in eight days, so I added it back (again, with asked-for sources) and Zefr promptly deleted it. Not only not low-weight, but not UNDUE. Will get back to this tomorrow. Randy Kryn (talk) 22:44, 19 May 2018 (UTC)

I agree that it doesn't belong in the lede, but it does belong in the cats section. Readding. MarshallKe (talk) 15:29, 24 October 2021 (UTC)

Regulation

Need to remove "Regulation" section, as it deceives the lay user into believing that the substance is "approved" Also, the entry is not properly cited. 4Cancer (talk) 01:38, 28 August 2019 (UTC)

Done. In addition, a valid "Regulation" section would need to address not just U.S. David notMD (talk) 02:51, 28 August 2019 (UTC)

De Quincey

"...I derived no benefit from any medicine, except one prescribed to me by an Edinburgh surgeon of great eminence, viz., ammoniated tincture of valerian."

-Thomas De Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium Eater

2601:188:C501:6494:20DC:2404:1618:6CD (talk) 19:13, 7 September 2019 (UTC)

Featured picture scheduled for POTD

Hello! This is to let editors know that File:Valeriana officinalis_-_Niitvälja.jpg, a featured picture used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for May 31, 2023. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2023-05-31. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you!  — Amakuru (talk) 14:24, 24 May 2023 (UTC)

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a perennial flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of 1.5 metres (5 feet), it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly species, especially hoverflies of the genus Eristalis. Valerian has been used as a herb in traditional medicine since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome; Hippocrates described its properties and Galen later prescribed it as a remedy for insomnia. This valerian flower was photographed in Niitvälja, Estonia, in 2021.

Photograph credit: Ivar Leidus

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phytochemicals

I have merely been trying to add a peer reviewed published article that expands the list of known alkaloids from this herb. This is relevant information to anyone interested in this plant. However, a single editor keeps revoking my changes, saying that MDPI journals are predatory. This is in spite of the fact that the article alleging that MDPI was predatory has been retracted. Are we now going to value retracted work over credible work because of one users opinion?@Zefr 128.115.190.39 (talk) 22:33, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

Find more reliable sources. This revert was justified because Molecules is a MDPI journal suspected of predatory publishing - see disclaimer on WP:CITEWATCH #1, i.e., it does not have sufficient evidence of quality editing to be trusted, may require authors to pay to be published, and has a history of low-quality, non-trustworthy publications. See predatory publishing and the MDPI article. Zefr (talk) 22:42, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

The article alleging that MDPI is predatory has since been retracted. Moreover, MDPI Molecules specifically (I cannot speak for all MDPI journals) has been around for a while and is generally considered trustworthy in the field of natural products chemistry. See the following link to retraction watch:

https://retractionwatch.com/2023/05/08/article-that-assessed-mdpi-journals-as-predatory-retracted-and-replaced/ 128.115.190.39 (talk) 22:50, 7 August 2023 (UTC)