Department of Psychology, Eastern Oregon University, LaGrande, OR 97850, USA.
Phytomedicine. 2010 Jul;17(8-9):674-8. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.020. Epub 2009 Dec 29.
Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis) is a popular and widely available herbal supplement, primarily used to treat insomnia and anxiety. Until recently, its mechanism of action has remained unknown. Neurobiological research has begun to show that the herb, with its active valerenic acid, interacts with the GABA(A)-ergic system, a mechanism of action similar to the benzodiazepine drugs. This series of experiments sought to corroborate these findings with behavioral measures, compare them to the benzodiazepine diazepam, and to analyze the chemical composition of Valeriana officinalis. Rats were administered either ethanol (1 ml/kg), diazepam (1mg/kg), valerian root extract (3 ml/kg), valerenic acid (3mg/kg), or a solution of valerenic acid and exogenous GABA (75 microg/kg and 3.6 microg/kg, respectively) and assessed for the number of entries and time spent on the open arms of an elevated plus maze. Results showed that there was a significant reduction in anxious behavior when valerian extract or valerenic acid exposed subjects were compared to the ethanol control group. The evidence supports Valeriana officinalis as a potential alternative to the traditional anxiolytics as measured by the elevated plus maze.
缬草根（缬草）是一种流行且广泛使用的草药补充剂，主要用于治疗失眠和焦虑。直到最近，其作用机制仍不清楚。神经生物学研究开始表明，这种草药的活性成分缬草酸与 GABA(A)-ergic 系统相互作用，其作用机制类似于苯二氮䓬类药物。这一系列实验旨在用行为测量来证实这些发现，将其与苯二氮䓬类药物地西泮进行比较，并分析缬草的化学成分。给大鼠分别给予乙醇（1ml/kg）、地西泮（1mg/kg）、缬草根提取物（3ml/kg）、缬草酸（3mg/kg）或缬草酸和外源性 GABA 的溶液（分别为 75 微克/kg 和 3.6 微克/kg），并评估其在高架十字迷宫的开放臂上的进入次数和停留时间。结果表明，与乙醇对照组相比，缬草根提取物或缬草酸暴露组的焦虑行为明显减少。证据表明，缬草作为一种潜在的替代传统抗焦虑药物，可通过高架十字迷宫进行测量。
