Valerian (herb) particular binding site. Hydrophilic extractions of the herb commonly sold over the counter, however, probably do not contain significant amounts of isovaltrate. Valerenic acid in valerian stimulates serotonin receptors as a partial agonist, including 5-HT which is implicated in the sleep-wake cycle. The chief constituent of valerian is a yellowish-green to brownish-yellow oil present in the dried root, varying in content from 0.5 to 2.0%. This variation in quantity may be determined by location; a dry, stony soil yields a root richer in oil than moist, fertile soil. The volatile oils that form the active ingredient are pungent, somewhat reminiscent
Valerian Osinsky Valerian Osinsky Valerian Obolensky-Ossinsky (1887 – 1 September 1938) was a Russian revolutionary Marxist and Professor of the Agricultural Academy of Moscow. Valerian wrote under the name Nikolai Osinsky, and was active amongst the Left Communists around the "Kommunist" journal in 1918 and later among the Democratic Centralists. He was the first chairperson of the Supreme Soviet of the National Economy but lost that position in spring 1918 due to his opposition to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. He attended the World Social Economic Conference organised by the International Institute of Industrial Relations held at the Vereeniging Koloniaal Institute in Amsterdam.