Valeriana wallichii Valeriana wallichii Valeriana wallichii is a rhizome herb of the genus Valeriana and the family Valerianaceae also called Indian Valerian or Tagar-Ganthoda, not to be confused with ganthoda, the root of Indian long pepper. It is an herb useful in Ayurvedic medicine used as an analeptic, antispasmodic, carminative, sedative, stimulant, stomachic, and nervine. It grows in the Northwest Himalayas in places like Astore (Northern Pakistan) and forests in the region. The genus Valeriana, with about 200 species, belongs to the family Valerianaceae and has a distribution throughout the world. The Indian Valerian has long been used in Ayurveda (Charak Samhita
Sedative Sedative A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are central nervous depressants and interact with brain activity causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives can be distinguished, but the majority of them affect the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which are brain chemicals performing communication between brain cells. In spite of the fact that each sedative acts in its own way, they produce beneficial relaxing effect by increasing GABA activity. At higher doses it may result in slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. Doses of sedatives such as