Plant Extract - TITREX Phytotherapy

Valerian

Catnip: Sedative, anxiolytic, and sleep-regulating

Latin name

Valeriana officinalis L.

Family

Valerianaceae

History & Botany

Valerian is a perennial plant found in damp meadows, forest edges, and stream banks of temperate Europe and Asia, growing wild up to 2,000 meters in altitude in the Alps and Pyrenees. Its Latin name, Valeriana, likely derives from the Latin valere (to be in good health, to be strong), testifying to the excellence of its medicinal reputation. Dioscorides and Galen mentioned it under the name phu and attributed diuretic and pain-relieving properties to it.

Its sedative and calming properties became definitive in the Middle Ages, and the plant was included in many pharmacopoeias from the 16th century onward. During World War I, it was widely administered to treat war neurosis and acute anxiety states. Modern phytochemistry identifies valerenic acid as the main compound responsible for the sedative activity. The EMA now recognizes its well-established traditional use for mild insomnia and nervousness.

Morphology

Robust perennial plant, 50 to 150 cm tall, with a hollow, upright, and striated stem. Opposite, pinnatisect leaves with lanceolate, toothed leaflets. Tiny pale pink to light lilac flowers in dense terminal corymbs, fragrant, from June to August. The rhizome and roots, with a strong and earthy characteristic odor, constitute the medicinal drug. This odor is irresistibly attractive to cats — hence the popular nickname "catnip."

Part used & extraction

The rhizome with roots and rootlets, harvested in autumn (2nd or 3rd year of cultivation), dried at low temperature, and subjected to hydro-alcoholic extraction. The dry extract is standardized in valerenic acid (minimum 0.17 to 0.8%). Main producers: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland.

Valeriana officinalis L.

Characteristic pale pink corymbs and fleshy rhizome with a strong odor

Organoleptic Characteristics

Appearance

Roots and rhizome are gray-brown on the outside, cream-white on the inside, fleshy and fibrous. Dry extract powder is beige-brown, fine, and homogeneous.

Odor

Strong, earthy, and musky, slightly animal-like, due to the isovalerate released during drying. Characteristic and immediately recognizable. Irresistible to cats.

Taste

Bitter, acrid, and slightly aromatic, persistent and unpleasant, justifying the preferential use in capsule or encapsulated extract form to mask the taste.

Infusion

Liquid is dark ochre-brown and cloudy, with a pronounced earthy odor. Often flavored with mint or linden to mask the strong taste. The infusion is less active than the dry extract (valepotriates are unstable).

Active Principles & Biochemistry

Medicinal Properties & Traditional Use

Insomnia & Sleep Disorders

Reduces the time to fall asleep, improves sleep quality and depth. Decreases nighttime awakenings without causing daytime drowsiness or rebound effects upon discontinuation. Well-established EMA indication. Optimal efficacy after 2 to 4 weeks of regular intake (cumulative effect; do not judge based on a single dose).

Anxiety & Nervousness

Reduces mild to moderate anxiety, nervous tension, and psychomotor agitation. Indicated for chronic stress, hypervigilance states, and functional anxiety disorders. No daytime sedative effect at recommended doses, can be taken during the day.

Antispasmodic & Somatizations

Relaxes spasms of the smooth digestive and vascular muscles of nervous origin. Indicated for functional bowel disorders, spastic colic, anxiety-related palpitations, tension headaches, and stress somatizations (stomach knots, chest tightness).

Benzodiazepine Withdrawal

Used to support the gradual withdrawal from chemical sleeping pills and anxiolytics. Sharing part of the same GABAergic mechanism, it attenuates withdrawal symptoms (rebound insomnia, anxiety, agitation) without creating its own dependence. A clinical study on TITREX Valerian documented successful withdrawal in 4 weeks. Always under medical supervision.