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 Engelhardt officer. In 1852 he received the rank of lieutenant general and was appointed to a senior post in the Corps of Civil Engineers. Engelhardt died on May 20, 1856 in St. Petersburg and is buried in the Volkov Lutheran cemetery. Valerian Engelhardt Valerian Engelhardt () (1798–1856) was a Russian lieutenant general and director of the Russian Institute of Railway Engineers. Engelhardt was born into the nobility of Livonia as a member of the Engelhardt family on December 24, 1798, the son of Colonel F. H. Engelhardt. His brother Nicholas Engelhardt also became a lieutenant general and member of the Order