Herbal Catnip, the Herbal Remedy Which Improves Memory Naturally

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Herbal Catnip (Nepeta cataria) may process a significant effect in improving memory, some scientists suggested.

Memory is the faculty in which information is stored and processed.

About 90% of all the brain’s neurons are located in the cerebral cortex, mainly in the "grey matter", including the prefrontal cortex, which plays an important role in processing short-term memories and retaining longer term memories.

Short-term memory is a capacity to hold a short information in mind in an active, ready to be used for a short period of time.

Longer term memories are held in the brain indefinitely. 

The most causes of memory loss are associated with physical injury to the brain and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's or Huntington's disease.

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..

In the aim to reaffirm the statement that plants and vegetables with antioxidant activity can reduce oxidative damages in the brain and improve cognitive functions, researchers at the Qom University of Medical Sciences conducted an examination of the effects of Nepeta (Catnip) menthoides aqueous extract on memory retention and retrieval of mice by using passive avoidance apparatus.

By doses: 100, 200, 400 and 800 mg kg(-1), Nepeta menthoides aqueous extract significantly increased memory retention and retrieval.

The best response to memory retention and retrieval was achieved by a dose of 800 mg kg(-1) of Nepeta extract,

Further analysis suggested that the effects of Nepeta extract, in enhancing memory were attributed to the antioxidant activity of its components such as rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, and phenolic acids.

Additionally, in the study to evaluate the nootropic activity of essential oil of Nepeta cataria (EONC)  in  scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.) induced amnesia in mice, using elevated plus maze and passive avoidance paradigm to observe the learning and memory parameters, researchers found that

* Application of the essential oil (1gm/kg) significantly attenuated memory deficits induced by scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg, i.p.) and natural aging. 

* Also, treated aging mice exhibited a decreased transfer latencies and increased step down latencies significantly.

* The anti memory deficits effect of Nepeta cataria were attributed to the influence on central cholinergic activity, including arousal, attention, memory, and motivation, by estimating the whole brain acetylcholinesterase activity in the breakdown of acetylcholine and of some other choline esters that function as neurotransmitters.

Dr. Sease. Satish S. at the final report said, " essential oil of Nepeta cataria might prove to be a useful memory restorative agent in the treatment of dementia seen in elderly".

Taken altogether, herbal Catnip and its essential oil may be considered a secondary therapy for improvement of memory or combined with conventional medicine for prevention of the progressive loss of memory in elderly with neurodegenerative disease.

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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
(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) Studies on Therapeutic Potential of Essential Oils of Nepeta Cataria in Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease by Satish S. (Asian Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Science)