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
I. Valerian I. Valerian I. Valerian (born Valeriu Ionescu; August 1, 1895 – November 21, 1980) was a Romanian writer and journalist. Born in Ivești, Galați County, the son of Fotache, a worker and clerk active in Ivești and Tecuci, and his wife Amalia, he spent his childhood in Tecuci. There he attended school at the primary and gymnasium levels before going to Vasile Alecsandri High School in Galați from 1907 to 1915. In 1917, during World War I, he graduated from the Military Reserve Officers' School in Bucharest, going on to participate in the Battle of Mărăști as part of the