Herbal Catnip (Nepeta cataria) and memory

Catnip is also known as catswort, or catmint, a plant of Nepeta, belonging to the family of Lamiaceae, native to Europe and Asia. It has been use in herbal medicine as insect repellant and to treat digestive disorders, children restlessness and nervousness, fevers, cold and flu, skin irritations stimulate sweating, promote menstruation, etc..
Central nervous system include is the part of the nervous system of the brain and spinal cord with function of integrates information it receives from for the entire nervous system, and control all the workings of your body.

Ingredients
Beside the major constituent of terpenoid nepetalactone, the herb also contains α-Pinene, β-Pinene, Cyclohexen-1-yl-methyl ketone, Triplal, Thymol, Nepetalactone, Nepetalactone, etc.

The Benefits
Evidences emerged in the research community that certain ingredients plants and vegetable may  improve the cognitive function by enhancing theirs antioxidant activity. Study of the effects of menthoides aqueous extract on memory retention and retrieval of mice using passive avoidance apparatus, the result showed that the extract has exerted its antioxidant effect by enhancing the  memory retention and retrieval, these may be a result of the effects of the herb's rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid and phenolic acids.

Side effects1. Overdose of Catnip may cause central nervous system depression.
2. Long-term exposure induced tolerance to stereotypic behavior, catalepsy and sleeping time, and increased the susceptibility to seizures.
3. Catnip may interacts with other medication if used  on a daily basis
4. Etc.


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References
(1) Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils from Nepeta cataria L. against Common Causes of Food-Borne Infections by Kamiar Zomorodian, Mohammad Jamal Saharkhiz, Samaneh Shariati, Keyvan Pakshir, Mohammad Javad Rahimi,  and Reza Khashei(PubMed)
(2) Effects of Nepeta menthoides aqueous extract on retention and retrieval of memory in mice by Sarahroodi S, Jafari-Najafi R, Nasri S, Rohampour K, Maleki-Jamshid A, Esmaeili S.(PubMed)
(3)  Investigation of the chemical composition-antibacterial activity relationship of essential oils by chemometric methods, by Miladinović DL, Ilić BS, Mihajilov-Krstev TM, Nikolić ND, Miladinović LC, Cvetković OG.(PubMed)
(4) Croton zehntneri: possible central nervous system effects of the essential oil in rodents`by Batatinha MJ, de Souza-Spinosa H, Bernardi MM(PubMed)
(5) `Behavioral effects of acute and long-term administration of catnip (Nepeta cataria) in mice`by Massoco CO, Silva MR, Gorniak SL, Spinosa MS, Bernardi MM(PubMed)