Catnip 3 and What Else is Growing at Weedom

Uplifting to rats, relaxing for us

It Catnip 1 we covered plant identification and an overview of the botany and the uses of this weed. Catnip 2 delved deeper into plant chemistry, particularly the essential oil constituents, the insect repellent and antimicrobial properties. Now we will finish up with some more uses of the the herb, and follow it with a bonus tour of a some local wild plants which pop up in the early spring.

Plant chemistry can have this effect on people…..

Renob of Weedom, sampling the spring crop

Most Catnip research has been done on the essential oils, but there are other important constituents. Catnip, being mostly water, will dry down to about 15% of its harvested weight. It contains significant amounts of potassium, on the order of that found in kiwi fruit, and a fair amount of calcium and magnesium. Methanol, a more polar solvent, extracts the phenolic compounds and, among them, the flavonoids more efficiently than straight ethanol, yielding on the order of 1.4% total phenolics and 0.5% flavonoids from the dried herb, so think of tincturing catnip with vodka (40-50%) rather than Everclear (95%) ethanol, when you’re seeking these compounds. Among these substances are those which contribute to antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, cardioprotective, and nervine activity observed in catnip. Some compounds of note are α-amyrin, stigmasterol, chlorogenic acid, rosemarinic acid, squalene, β-sitoserol, chichoric acid, campesterol, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, caffeoylquinic acid, and various derivatives of quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, and acacitine.

Catnip excites the cats, and it seems to be a little like Viagra for rats. One might ask: Who needs that??? There’s always a silver lining for someone. The breeders who raise Sprague-Dawley rats might be excited about this. Apparently spiking the rat food with 10% Nepeta cataria leaves caused increased quality of erections in these animals, and some increase in sexual behavior, but a general decrease in overall activity. Effects on dopaminergic pathways were suggested as a possible mechanism for the enhancement of male rats sex performance, but it seems more likely that the papaverine-like inhibition of phosphodiesterase might have something to do with the erection enhancement. (Does this bring to mind the old papaverine and phentolamine injections that preceded the introduction of Viagra?) The catnip mode of action was demonstrated in vitro using guinea pig trachea model of smooth muscle. Catnip essential oil has also been shown to inhibit smooth muscle contraction in other models such as rabbit jejunum. These activities point to the mechanisms of action underlying the traditional uses of catnip in the treatment of colic, cough, diarrhea, and asthma, all of which involve reducing smooth muscle contractility.

Both essential oils and non volatile constituents of catnip have been studied for anti-inflammatory activity, as well as anti-nociceptive effects (reducing nervous system response to pain and noxious stimuli ). Reduced tail withdrawal response, and reduced abdominal constriction response to acetic acid in mice were evidence of the anti-nociceptive effect. This is similar to the type of analgesia that opioid compounds produce. At very low doses, the essential oil of Nepeta cataria reduced the swelling and inflammation produced by carrageenan injection in mice. The methanol extract has been shown to inhibit the production of nitric oxide, an important mediator of inflammation and immune response. Inhibition of calcineurin by caffaoyl phenylethanoid glycosides from Nepeta cataria has been seen as another possible mechanism for immune modulation and anti-inflammatory effects. Given that calcineurin mediates so much activity as well as neurotransmitter secretion and reuptake in the brain, this mechanism might contribute to nervine and many other activities of the plant.

An ethanolic extract of catnip put chicks into light sleep at lower doses, (25-1800mg/kg) and this effect was reduced at higher doses, above 2 grams/kg. Mice given catnip leaves in food, or treated with a non polar solvent extract of catnip have been subjected to the (nasty) behavioral despair test. The treated mice exhibit a longer time to reach immobility, which has been classically considered to suggest antidepressant activity. So, during the times when chocolate is not enough, one could think about eating catnip whole, or using a tincture made with Everclear, 95% ethanol.

Non volatile constituents, rosemarinic acid, luteolin, caffeic acid found in Nepeta cataria account prominently for its antioxidant activity.

Both the methanol extract and essential oil of catnip has shown protective potential for the liver. The essential oil, obtained by supercritical fluid extraction mitigated liver damage by acetaminophen. By modulating numerous enzymes, it inhibited the formation of toxic intermediates of acetaminophen, and accelerated the formation of harmless metabolites. In a model of liver DNA damage by carbon tetrachloride, the harm was shown to be greatly decreased by treatment with a methanol extract of catnip.

Catnip is regarded in traditional Chinese medicine as an anti-cancer agent. A group flavonoid compounds from Nepeta cataria, including diosmetin, apigenin, luteolin, hesperidin, icynaroside, and quercitrin, are collectively called TFS. These were found in vitro to promote apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation of human lung cancer cell line A549, by disrupting microRNA-126, and by modulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. Essential oils of Nepeta cataria also showed in vitro cytotoxic potential against keratinocytes and bronchial epithelial cells at low concentrations of 0-0012-0.015% v/v.

There’s plenty more where that came from, but it’s time to arise from the fog of catnip research, and tour some of the ephemeral Spring plants that have popped up at Weedom.

Starting off with the Virginia Blue Bells down by the creek bed. These are in the Boraginaceae (borage) family. They’re not the same as the blue bells of the UK (Hyacinthoides). Virginia blue bells are 2 or 2.5 feet tall, and remind us a bit of borage but entirely without the hairs. Blue bells like partial shade, and moist woodland areas. Ours are down by the creek at the north west end of the property.

Virginia blue bells Mertensia virginica

Dutchman’s breeches, Dicentra cucullaria (family Papaveraceae) showed up in bulk on the north facing hillsides in our woods. Only a few of the plants are in bloom right now, but they look great. The flowers are white with yellow trim, but in some places you can see pinkish flowers. They’re the same species. Isoquinolone alkaloids in this plant are a bit toxic. You might have vomiting, diarrhea and maybe convulsions if you eat any parts of this plant.

Dutchman’s breeches Dicentra cucullaria

Cutleaf toothwort, Cardamine concatenata, aka Dentaria lacinata, is a member of the mustard family, Brassicaceae. So you can eat the leaves and roots. It tastes like horseradish. The root is a hotter form of horseradish. It’s rather small and you might not want to kill these plants off by grabbing a lot of roots. Another relative, Cardimine diphylla has larger edible roots.

Cutleaf toothwort Cardimine concatenata

Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum (family Berberidaceae) is another understory plant found in the woods. It forms a single flower under the conjoined leaf. Eventually that turns into a single fruit, which could be eaten, but only when totally ripe, and a golden color. The podophyllotoxin, or podophyllin in the rest of the plant is too poisonous. Don’t eat it. Symptoms include salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, excitement, headache, fever, lethargy, and perhaps coma. Contact dermatitis is possible when handling the plant.

Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum

Toadshade or wood lily, Trillium species (family Liliaceae) The stem extends from the rhizome and has tiny scaly leaves called cataphylls. The three leaf like things you see are really bracts of the flower, which has not yet opened. We have plenty of them on the north facing hills in the woods, but none fully flowered yet. Trilliums are long lived plants, and take a long time to produce blooms. Fruits and rhizomes are considered mildly poisonous to humans.

Toadshade or Wood lily Trillium species

Spring beauty, Claytonia virginica grow throughout the woods and fields in early spring. They’re maybe 4-5 inches tall, with tiny flowers, up to a half inch when fully spread. They’re being reclassified from the family Portulacaceae to the miners lettuce family, Montiaceae, and that probably got someone a masters degree. These plants and the little bulb below the ground are edible. The bulb is too tiny, so don’t bother, and let the plant regrow again.

Spring beauty Claytonia virginica

Hope you can spot some of these, and more when you’re wandering around outside. Happy Spring!

Where We Dig:

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