Background: In traditional medicine, the roots and rhizomes of Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) have been used to decrease gastrointestinal tract motility in intestinal spasms, colic and gastrointestinal disorders of nervous origin. It has been also suggested for alleviation of nausea.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the antiemetic effect of V. officinalis extract (aqueous-ethanolic) for documentation of reports available in traditional medicine.Methods: The antiemetic effect of V. officinalis extract (aqueous-ethanolic) against emesis induced by copper sulfate (60 mg/kg, orally) and ipecac (600 mg/kg, orally) was investigated.The number of emesis was counted for 50 and 20 minutes after copper sulfate and ipecac administration, respectively.Results: The extract at doses of 0.28, 0.49 and 0.7 g/kg (ip) exhibited significant protection against copper sulfate and ipecac induced - emesis. The dose of 0.7 g/kg lowered the number of copper sulfate induced- and ipecac induced - emesis of negative control (saline), respectively 65.704% and 79.88%.Conclusion: According to the results, the antiemetic effect of Valerian was significant and it confirms the traditional uses of Valerian in attenuation of nausea.

Introduction and Aims: Anxiety has a negative effect on wound healing and tissue repair. Energy expenditure during mental and physical stress of anxiety can lead to prolonged hospital stay and delayed in discharge. One method of reducing anxiety is the use of medicinal plants, in this study efficacy of Nardostachys jatamansi root extract versus oral diazepam on pre-operative anxiety in orthopedic surgery is used.Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial on 60 orthopedics patients in Imam Ali hospital of Bojnurd. Patients were divided to two groups 1- valerian (530mg capsules Sedamine) 2-control group. Anxiety (using addition, Berger Anxiety Inventory) and vital signs of patients were measured in orthopedic ward and operating room at the night before and the morning of surgery.Results: The results showed that before intervention, anxiety scores in the intervention group was 46.3±11.9 and in the control group was 50.2±5.0. At this stage there is no significant difference between anxiety scores between the two groups (P=0.30). After the intervention, the mean anxiety score in the intervention group was 36.2±8.9 and in the control group was 46.9±6.1, that there is a significant difference between two groups (P=0.005).Conclusion: Valerian improves patients’ anxiety before surgery, which can be used as a good alternative to anti-anxiety drugs.

Background and Objective: Valeriana Officinalis administrated for treatment of many gastrointestinal disorders traditionally and probably reduced smooth muscle contraction and bowel movement. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Valeriana Officinalis extract on Ileum contraction of Guinea pig ileum in In Vitro model.Materials and Methods: This experimental study done on five male Guinea pigs. The animals were sacrificed and the pieces of ileum with 2-3cm long (at least 6 pieces) dissected and established in normal Tyrod solution plus Carbogen gas in 37ºc. Tissue fixed between of two electrodes that connected to stimulator apparatus. The contraction of ileum carried to physiograph by isotonic transducer and recorded. A solution with 5 concentration of Valeriana Officinalis extract was added to the organ bath during ileum stimulation with stimulator and the muscle contraction recorded in 7 responses.Results: Hydroalcoholic extract of Valeriana Officinalis root in concentrations of 5, 15, 50, 150, 500 mg/ml during 0.1 Hz stimulation decreased Ileum contractions in a dose dependent manner. The percent of reduce contraction was 34.45%, 36.07%, 47.53%, 56.42%, and 76.22% respectively. Also Ec50% of this effect of Valeriana Officinalis was found to be 50 mg/ml (P<0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that Valeriana Officinalis extracts can decrease ileum contraction in dose dependent manner.

Different studies showed that the root of Valerian officinaliscontains free amino acid like GABA and other material like Valeric acid and Isovalerat. Also showed that GABA, Valeric acid and Isovalerat had anticonvulsant effects in animal seizure models. In traditional medicine anticonvulsant effect of Valerian officinalisis reminded. In this study anticonvulsant effect of Valerian officinalis using standard method of making chemical seizure with PTZ in mice, was studied. After measuring seizure threshold with PTZ in control group, different doses of Valerian officinalis (0.25, 0.5, 1 g/kg) orally administrated. Results showed that the PTZ seizure threshold was 35.52 0.85 mg/kg in control group. In animals pretreated with Valerian officinalis the PTZ seizure threshold showed dose dependently increased (p<0.05). In conclusion results showed that: the mechanism of anticonvulsant effect of Valerian officinalis probably is via GABAergic effect of this agent. This subject needs to be more investigation in human.

Background and Objective: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common disorder. Due to the lack of understanding of the precise etiology of this syndrome, various treatments have been proposed. One method of treatment is the use of herbs. This study aimed to investigate the effect of valerian root extract on intensity of mood and behavioral symptoms of PMS.Materials and Method: In this double-blind clinical trial, 100 female students of Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon Branch, Mazandaran Province, Iran, with PMS were randomly assigned to groups receiving valerian and placebo in 2013. The participants received 2 pills daily seven days before until the beginning of their menstrual cycle for 3 cycles and recorded their symptoms. The data gathering tools included demographic information questionnaire and daily symptoms severity questionnaire. Data were compared before the intervention, and the on the first, second, and third cycles after the intervention using Student’s independent ttest, paired t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance SPSS16. All P values <0.05 were considered significant.Results: A significant difference was observed in mean premenstrual mood (P<0.001) and behavioral (P<0.001) symptoms severity of in the intervention group before and after the intervention. However, this difference was not statistically significant in the control group. Moreover, repeated measures ANOVA showed that the difference in mean of mood and behavioral symptoms before the intervention, and one, two, and three months after the intervention in the intervention group was significant (P<0.001). Nevertheless, this difference was not significant in the control group.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that valerian root extract may reduce mood and behavioral symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

Background and aim: Valerian officinalis has various usages in the pharmaceutical industry and has therapeutic properties to improve some neurological disorders, insomnia and hysteria. The plant acts as sedatives for the nervous system and muscle cramps. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract on the astrocytes of hippocampus in rats.Methods: In the present experimental study, forty Sprague Dawley rats (200–230 g) were randomly divided into four groups. Experimental groups of one, two and three, received, 300, 400 and 600 mg/kg of Valeriana officinalis extract daily for three weeks. But the control group received only one ml of distilled water by garage daily, for 21 days. At the end of the study, the rats were killed and their brain tissue samples were prepared.The size and number of astrocytes in the hippocampus in the left hemisphere in CA1, CA2, and CA3 area were recorded in all groups.Data were analyzed by One-way ANOVA.Results: The numbers of astrocytes of the CA1 and CA2 in the group which received 600 mg/kg of Valeriana officinalis extracts were 16.79±6.48 and 9.11±3.91 respectively, which significantly increased compared with the control group (p<0.001). The mean of large diameter of astrocytes in the CA1 region of the animals which received 300, 400 and 600 mg/kg of Valeriana officinalis were 10.41±2.87, 7.85±2.36 and 5.5±2.06 respectively, which decreased significantly compared to the control group 13.1±4.01. The mean large diameter of the CA3 area in the groups which received 400 and 600 mg/kg of Valeriana officinalis extracts were 8±2.38 and 7.13±4.12 which significantly reduced compared to the control group 14.53±8.60 (p<0.05).Conclusion: Valeriana officinalis containing an effective compounds such as phenolic acids, esters, flavonoids, acids, esters, flavonoids, eccles, monoterpenes, and antioxidant property has potential to affect extracellular environment of the nervous system to proliferation of astrocytes cells in the rat hippocampus.