Plant Comparison
Catnip vs Skullcap
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Catnip and Skullcap: both belong to the Lamiaceae family; they share 1 indicated use (insomnia / sleeplessness); 1 pharmacological action in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Catnip | Skullcap | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insomnia / sleeplessness | 1/10 | 5/10 | Stronger for Skullcap |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
The characteristic volatile iridoid responsible for the cat-attractant effect and studied for sedative, antimicrobial and insect-repellent activity.
Rich in nepetalactone isomers along with other monoterpenes; studied for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.
Bind the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor, underlying the calming effect; baicalin is used as the HPLC quality marker, and its content varies widely between commercial tinctures.
GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter and contributes to the anxiolytic activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Anxiolytic for anxiety and nervous tension (the flavonoids baicalin and baicalein bind the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor); a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy volunteers found significantly improved overall mood without loss of energy or cognition; Calming nervine for stress and nervous disorders (traditional)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from digestive action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from sedative action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Anxiolytic for anxiety and nervous tension (the flavonoids baicalin and baicalein bind the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor); a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy volunteers found significantly improved overall mood without loss of energy or cognition
Sedative / sleep support (insomnia)
Anxiolytic for anxiety and nervous tension (the flavonoids baicalin and baicalein bind the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor); a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy volunteers found significantly improved overall mood without loss of energy or cognition
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Pregnancy: Do not use (traditional concern around stimulating menstruation/uterus) (Health Canada, n.d.). Breastfeeding: Health Canada advises talk to a healthcare professional first (Health Canada, n.d.). Kids: It’s often described as a “gentle” traditional tea, but large amounts are not a good idea—there’s a published case where a toddler became very sleepy/“slowed down” after consuming a lot. Keep catnip tea away from toddlers unless a clinician advises it (Osterhoudt et al., 1997). Sedatives / alcohol: Catnip can be calming, so don’t stack it with other sedating herbs/sleep meds/alcohol (you could get extra drowsy) (WebMD, n.d.a). Essential oil caution: Catnip essential oil is concentrated. Research notes it may cause mild skin irritation for some people—always dilute, patch test, and never treat it like “tea.” (Reichert et al., 2019)
Duke (2002) describes catnip primarily as a sedative, diaphoretic, and emmenagogue with experimental (score 1) support. It has demonstrated uterotonic and oxytocic activity, making it contraindicated in pregnancy. The active compounds include nepetalactone and iridoids. Catnip is classified as a mild nervine and antispasmodic in traditional North American herbal medicine, though clinical trials are lacking. Due to its emmenagogue and uterotonic properties, medicinal-dose use should be avoided during pregnancy (Duke, 2002).
Generally well tolerated; its sedative effect can add to that of alcohol, sedatives and sleep medicines, and it may inhibit some drug-metabolising (CYP) enzymes.
External Ids
Botanical Description
Perennial herb, 30-100 cm tall, with greyish-green, downy, square stems typical of the mint family. Leaves are opposite, triangular-ovate with scalloped or toothed margins, grey-green above and softly felted (whitish) beneath, releasing a minty-lemony aroma when crushed. Small white flowers, spotted with purple or pink, are borne in dense terminal and axillary spikes. Nepetalactone, the volatile compound famous for its effect on cats, is concentrated in glandular hairs on the leaves and stems.[9]
Perennial herb (Lamiaceae), 30-80 cm tall, with square stems. Leaves are opposite, ovate to lance-shaped and toothed. Small blue, two-lipped flowers are borne in one-sided leafy racemes arising from the leaf axils; the helmet-shaped calyx gives the genus its 'skullcap' name.[11]
Habitat
Harvesting
The whole flowering aerial parts are cut at flowering (summer) and dried. Given the well-documented history of adulteration with toxic germander, sourcing from an authenticated, tested supplier is essential rather than home foraging of an uncertain look-alike.[11]
Traditional Uses
Catnip has a long North American and European folk-medicine history as a mild sedative/nervine, diaphoretic (fever-reducing, sweat-promoting) remedy, carminative digestive and traditional emmenagogue; it was also given as a children's tea for colic and restlessness, though large amounts are not advised for young children and it is traditionally avoided in pregnancy.[9]
American skullcap has a Native American and 19th-century Eclectic-medicine tradition as a calming nervine for anxiety and nervous tension - the old name 'mad-dog skullcap' reflects a folk remedy explored for rabies. Modern research on its flavonoids baicalin and baicalein, which bind the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor, supports its calming, anxiolytic and sleep-supporting reputation.[11]
Preparations
Dosage
Health Canada's NNHPD monograph gives 1.2-12 g of dried herb top per day for adults 18 years and older, with infusion among the accepted methods of preparation. Educational reference only, not a prescription. Keep away from toddlers and young children beyond very small amounts, and avoid medicinal-dose use in pregnancy.
Traditional guidance suggests roughly 1-2 g dried herb per cup as an infusion, up to three times daily, or a tincture per product-specific dosing given known variability in flavonoid content between commercial products. Educational reference only, not a prescription; buy only from a source that has authenticated the species and tested for germander adulteration.
References
Drug Class Interactions
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
Not documented
References & Sources
- Geissler, M., Neubauer, C., Sheludko, Y.V. and Warzecha, H (2024) 'Nepeta cataria L. (catnip) can serve as a chassis for the engineering of secondary metabolic pathways', Biotechnology Letters, 46(5), pp. 843-850. doi:10.1007/s10529-024-03489-w Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-024-03489-w - Lockhart, A., Simon, J.E. and Wu, Q (2024) 'Stability study of Nepeta cataria iridoids analyzed by LC/MS', Phytochemical Analysis, 35(7), pp. 1674-1687. doi:10.1002/pca.3410 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/pca.3410 - Nadeem, A., Shahzad, H., Ahmed, B., Muntean, T. and others (2022) 'Phytochemical profiling of antimicrobial and potential antioxidant plant: Nepeta cataria', Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, pp. 969316. doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.969316 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.969316 - Tan, J., Li, J., Ma, J. and Qiao, F (2019) 'Hepatoprotective effect of essential oils of Nepeta cataria L. on acetaminophen-induced liver dysfunction', Bioscience Reports, 39(8), pp. BSR20190697. doi:10.1042/BSR20190697 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20190697 - Mollova, S., Dzhurmanski, A., Fidan, H., Bojilov, D. and others (2023) 'Chemical Composition of Essential Oils from Nepeta cataria L. Cultivated in Bulgaria and Their Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activity', ACS Omega, 8(17), pp. 15441-15449. doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c00704 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c00704 - Reichert, W., Ejercito, J., Guda, T., Dong, X. and others (2019) 'Repellency Assessment of Nepeta cataria Essential Oils and Isolated Nepetalactones on Aedes aegypti', Scientific Reports, 9(1), pp. 1524. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36814-1 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36814-1 - Tiwari, G., Chaturvedi, T., Gupta, A.K., Lal, R.K. and others (2023) 'Assessment of Genetic Diversity, Micromorphology and Antimicrobial Activity in Nepeta cataria L', Chemistry & Biodiversity, 20(2), pp. e202200241. doi:10.1002/cbdv.202200241 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202200241 - Giarratana, F., Muscolino, D., Ziino, G., Lo Presti, V. and others (2017) 'Activity of Catmint (Nepeta cataria) essential oil against Anisakis larvae', Tropical Biomedicine, 34(1), pp. 22-31. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33592976/ Preclinical
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33592976/ - Sarkar, M., Rashmi, R., Vikramaditya and Varma, P.N (1995) 'Pharmacognosy of Nepeta cataria', Ancient Science of Life, 14(4), pp. 225-234. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22556702/ Traditional / reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22556702/ - Bernardi, M.M., Kirsten, T.B., Lago, J.H.G., Giovani, T.M. and Massoco, C.O (2011) 'Nepeta cataria L. var. citriodora (Becker) increases penile erection in rats', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 137(3), pp. 1318-1322. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.061 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2011.07.061 - Health Canada, Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (2026) 'Natural Health Product Monograph: Catnip - Nepeta cataria'. Available at: https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/dbImages/mono_catnip_english.pdf Traditional / reference
https://webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/dbImages/mono_catnip_english.pdf - British Herbal Medicine Association (1983) 'British Herbal Pharmacopoeia'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=British%20Herbal%20Pharmacopoeia - Gilani, A.H., Shah, A.J., Zubair, A., Khalid, S., Kiani, J., Ahmed, A., Rasheed, M. and Ahmad, V.U (2009) 'Chemical composition and mechanisms underlying the spasmolytic and bronchodilatory properties of the essential oil of Nepeta cataria L', 121(3), pp. 405--411. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.11.004 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2008.11.004 - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (n.d.). Available at: https://powo.science.kew.org Traditional / reference
https://powo.science.kew.org - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar, M. and Hosseinzadeh, H (2024) 'Therapeutic potential of hypnotic herbal medicines: A comprehensive review', Phytotherapy Research, 38(6), pp. 3037-3059. doi:10.1002/ptr.8201 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8201 - Block, K.I., Gyllenhaal, C. and Mead, M.N (2004) 'Safety and efficacy of herbal sedatives in cancer care', Integrative Cancer Therapies, 3(2), pp. 128-148. doi:10.1177/1534735404265003 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735404265003
- Di Minno, A., Morone, M.V., Buccato, D.G., De Lellis, L.F. and others (2025) 'Efficacy and Tolerability of a Chemically Characterized Scutellaria lateriflora L. Extract-Based Food Supplement for Sleep Management: A Single-Center, Controlled, Randomized, Crossover, Double-Blind Clinical Trial', Nutrients, 17(9), pp. 1491. doi:10.3390/nu17091491 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17091491 - Wolfson, P. and Hoffmann, D.L (2003) 'An investigation into the efficacy of Scutellaria lateriflora in healthy volunteers', Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 9(2), pp. 74-78. Randomized trial
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=An%20investigation%20into%20the%20efficacy%20of%20Scutellaria%20lateriflora%20in%20healthy%20volunteers - Di Minno, A., Ullah, H., De Lellis, L.F., Buccato, D.G. and others (2024) 'Efficacy and Tolerability of a Cistus x incanus L. and Scutellaria lateriflora L.-Based Chewing Gum on the Symptoms of Gingivitis: A Monocentric, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial', Nutrients, 16(6), pp. 862. doi:10.3390/nu16060862 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060862 - Wilczanska, A., Sparzak-Stefanowska, B., Kokotkiewicz, A., Jesionek, A. and others (2023) 'Biotechnological strategies for controlled accumulation of flavones in hairy root culture of Scutellaria lateriflora L', Scientific Reports, 13(1), pp. 20422. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47757-7 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-47757-7 - Cole, I.B., Cao, J., Alan, A.R., Saxena, P.K. and Murch, S.J (2008) 'Comparisons of Scutellaria baicalensis, Scutellaria lateriflora and Scutellaria racemosa: genome size, antioxidant potential and phytochemistry', Planta Medica, 74(4), pp. 474-481. doi:10.1055/s-2008-1034358 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1034358 - Li, J., Ding, Y., Li, X.C., Ferreira, D. and others (2009) 'Scuteflorins A and B, dihydropyranocoumarins from Scutellaria lateriflora', Journal of Natural Products, 72(6), pp. 983-987. doi:10.1021/np900068t Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np900068t - Tuan, P.A., Kim, Y.S., Kim, Y., Thwe, A.A. and others (2016) 'Molecular characterization of flavonoid biosynthetic genes and accumulation of baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin in plant and hairy root of Scutellaria lateriflora', Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 25(8), pp. 1639-1647. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.08.011 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2016.08.011 - Gafner, S., Bergeron, C., Batcha, L.L., Reich, J. and others (2003) 'Inhibition of [3H]-LSD binding to 5-HT7 receptors by flavonoids from Scutellaria lateriflora', Journal of Natural Products, 66(4), pp. 535-537. doi:10.1021/np0205102 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np0205102 - Gafner, S., Bergeron, C., Batcha, L.L., Angerhofer, C.K. and others (2003) 'Analysis of Scutellaria lateriflora and its adulterants Teucrium canadense and Teucrium chamaedrys by LC-UV/MS, TLC, and digital photomicroscopy', Journal of AOAC International, 86(3), pp. 453-460. doi:10.1093/jaoac/86.3.453 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1093/jaoac/86.3.453 - Sun, J. and Chen, P (2011) 'A flow-injection mass spectrometry fingerprinting method for authentication and quality assessment of Scutellaria lateriflora-based dietary supplements', Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 401(5), pp. 1577-1584. doi:10.1007/s00216-011-5246-2 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-011-5246-2 - Awad, R., Arnason, J.T., Trudeau, V., Bergeron, C., Budzinski, J.W., Foster, B.C. and Merali, Z (2003) 'Phytochemical and biological analysis of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.): a medicinal plant with anxiolytic properties', Phytomedicine. doi:10.1078/0944-7113-00374 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1078/0944-7113-00374 - Gao, J. and Sanchez-Medina, A. and Pendry, B.A. and Hughes, M.J. and Webb, G.P. and Corcoran, O (2008) 'Validation of a HPLC method for flavonoid biomarkers in skullcap (Scutellaria) and its use to illustrate wide variability in the quality of commercial tinctures', Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 11(1), pp. 77--87. doi:10.18433/j39g6v Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.18433/j39g6v - Brock, C. and Whitehouse, J. and Tewfik, I. and Towell, T (2014) 'American Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its effects on mood in healthy volunteers', Phytotherapy Research, 28(5), pp. 692--698. doi:10.1002/ptr.5044 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5044 - Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar, M. and Hosseinzadeh, H (2024) 'Therapeutic potential of hypnotic herbal medicines: A comprehensive review', Phytotherapy Research, 38(6), pp. 3037-3059. doi:10.1002/ptr.8201 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.8201 - Block, K.I., Gyllenhaal, C. and Mead, M.N (2004) 'Safety and efficacy of herbal sedatives in cancer care', Integrative Cancer Therapies, 3(2), pp. 128-148. doi:10.1177/1534735404265003 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1177/1534735404265003 - Lin, L.Z. and Harnly, J.M. and Upton, R (2009) 'Comparison of the phenolic component profiles of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and germander (Teucrium canadense and T. chamaedrys), a potentially hepatotoxic adulterant', Phytochemical Analysis, 20(4), pp. 298-306. doi:10.1002/pca.1127 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/pca.1127 - Pacifico, S. and D'Abrosca, B. and Scognamiglio, M. and D'Angelo, G. and Gallicchio, M. and Galasso, S. and Monaco, P. and Fiorentino, A (2012) 'NMR-based metabolic profiling and in vitro antioxidant and hepatotoxic assessment of partially purified fractions from Golden germander (Teucrium polium L.) methanolic extract', Food Chemistry, 135(3), pp. 1957-67. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.06.071 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.06.071
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.