Herbal Catnip, The Herbal Medicine and Plant Which Inhibits Inflammatory Diseases

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Scientists may have found a herbal medicine that processes anti-inflammatory activity to protect our body from overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in causing damage to healthy cells in the infectious site without reducing inflammatory cytokine activities.

Inflammation is a natural reaction of the immune system which initial protein signaling in stimulated production of inflammatory expression against foreign organisms invasion.

However, under the infectious condition, systematic inflammatory response in some cases may over overact, leading to overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF alpha,.... and  

Interleukins (IL) 1 and 6. which are a group of cytokines expressed by white blood cells of the immune system.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica wrote, "Like other cytokines, interleukins are not stored within cells but are instead secreted rapidly, and briefly, in response to a stimulus, such as an infectious agent. Once an interleukin has been produced, it travels to its target cell and binds to it via a receptor molecule on the cell’s surface" and  "This interaction triggers a cascade of signals within the target cell that ultimately alter the cell’s behavior".

Catnip is also known as catswort, or catmint, a plant of Nepeta, belonging to the family of Lamiaceae, native to Europe and Asia. 

The herb has been used in herbal medicine as an insect repellant and to treat digestive disorders, children restlessness and nervousness, fevers, cold and flu, skin irritation stimulates sweating, promote menstruation, etc..

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

In chronic related inflammation disease induced to 24 male Wister rats weighing 225 ± 25 gm, essential oil of catnip at the doses of 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg researchers found that administered doses intraperitoneally exert significant effects in reduced paw edema by alleviating symptoms of both the acute and chronic forms of nociception, through its anti-inflammatory effect(1).

Dr. Ali T, the lead scientists at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said, " NP 200 mg/kg reduced the pain sensation in the tail flick (p <0.01) and formalin test (p <0.001 in both phases). In paw edema test, NP 100 and 200 mg/kg significantly reduced the inflammation (p <0.01 and p <0.05)"(1).

The efficacy of catnip in inhibited chronic inflammation of experimental rats was attributed to chemical constituents 4aα,7α,7aβ-nepetalactone and 1,8-cineole that form major parts in phytochemicals of the herb.

The Tarbiat Modares University study also showed that Nepeta crispa essential oil enhances anti-inflammatory effects in the formalin-induced paw inflammation model and significantly reduced the paw edema(2).

More precisely, the essential oil injection ameliorated acute pain in animal models, including the tail-flick (p < 0.001) in the first phase of the formalin test (p < 0.01) through the production of analgesia(2).

In the late phase of the formalin test, the essential oil significantly reduced the pain-induced behavior against chronic pain(2).

Furthermore, in the study of extracts and isolated compounds tested against calcineurin, scientists showed that herbal catnip has a direct interaction with calcineurin through anti-inflammatory activity via modulation of T-cell in the mediation of inflammation(3).

Dr. Prescott TA and the research team at the Royal Botanic Gardens suggested, " Calcineurin inhibition should be considered as a potential mode of action when investigating the immunomodulatory activity of caffeoyl phenyle anoid glycoside containing plants"(3).

The findings suggested that herbal catnip may be considered as a functional food for treatment of acute and chronic inflammation without reducing the function of the immune system in protected our body against infection.

However, large sample size and multi-center clinical studies during the course of human consumption are necessary to reaffirm the catnip anti-inflammatory possibility.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Evaluation of the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of essential oil of Nepeta pogonosperma Jamzad et Assadi in rats by Ali T, Javan M, Sonboli A, Semnanian S.(PubMed)
(2) Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the essential oil of Nepeta crispa Willd. in experimental rat models by Ali T, Javan M, Sonboli A, Semnanian S.(PubMed)
(3) Direct inhibition of calcineurin by caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycosides from Teucrium chamaedrys and Nepeta cataria by Prescott TA, Veitch NC, Simmonds MS.(PubMed)

(4) Interleukin PROTEIN by Encyclopaedia Britannica