Valerian roots are used to relief temporary mild nerve tensions and/or difficulties
in falling asleep [1]. Hendriks and colleagues implicated valerenic acid, isolated
from valerian root, as it produced barbiturate-like effects on performance tests with
mice [1,2]. According to another report, neither the extract nor the compounds had
shown considerable sedative effects [3]. However crude extracts of valerian roots
are sold as herbal medicinal product (HMP) or dietary supplement in the form of capsules.
In terms of quality control, it is important to know the chemical compounds present
in a crude drug. In this study, modified European Pharmacopoeia HPLC method was used
for fingerprint analysis of roots from cultured Valeriana officinalis L. (Valerianaceae) and valerian commercial products. Test solution for HPLC was prepared
with methanol. Valerenic acid and acetoxy valerenic acid were used as reference substances.
According to the European Pharmacopoeia, the amount of sesquiterpenic acids, expressed
as valerenic acid, should be at least 0.17% w/w [4]. In our study, we analyzed total
18 HMP and dietary supplement samples by HPLC and the results showed remarkable variations
of the valerian commercial products. Highest amounts of valerenic acids were detected
in VO-2 (0.14%), trace amounts in VO-4 (0.05%), and none in the VO-5. Hydroxyvalerenic
acid was increased when valerian products were stored longer than shelf life.
Acknowledgements: This study was supported by grants from Hacettepe University Scientific
Research Projects (Project No: THD-2016 – 9171).
Keywords: Quality control, HPLC, Valeriana officinalis.
References:
[1] EMA/152385/2016 Valerian root, Valeriana officinalis L. radix, Available at ”http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Herbal_-_Summary_of_assessment_report_for_the_public/2016/04/WC500205467.pdf”
[2] Houghton PJ. The scientific basis for the reputed activity of Valerian. J Pharm Pharmacol 1999;
51: 505 – 512
[3] Hendriks H, Bos R, Woerdenbag HJ, Koster S. Central nervous depressant activity of valerenic acid in the mouse. Planta Med 1985;
1: 28 – 31
[4] The European Pharmacopoeia, 8th ed., Council of Europe, Strasbourg, 2015; 2: 1413.
