Valerian (herb) some affinity for the GABA receptor, a class of receptors on which benzodiazepines are known to act. Valeric acid, which is responsible for the typical odor of mostly older valerian roots, does not have any sedative properties. Valeric acid is related to valproic acid, a widely prescribed anticonvulsant; valproic acid is a derivative of valeric acid. Valerian also contains isovaltrate, which has been shown to be an inverse agonist for adenosine A receptor sites. This action likely does not contribute to the herb's possible sedative effects, which would be expected from an agonist, rather than an inverse agonist, at this
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets featured the Beatles song "Because", which marked the first time a Beatles master recording had been featured in a non-Beatles film advertisement. Industrial Light and Magic, Weta Digital and Rodeo FX did the visuals for the movie. Scott Stokdyk was the main supervisor for the effects. The first teaser for "Valerian" was released on 10 November 2016. The teaser depicts Marmakas, an Entertainer (Bubble, identified as "Glamopod" in the film), Bagoulins, and Shingouz (known as "Doghan Daguis" in the film), who all appear in "Ambassador of the Shadows". A special exclusive preview of "Valerian" was shown prior to the Fathom