Plant Comparison
Catnip vs Chasteberry
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 Chasteberry: both belong to the Lamiaceae family.
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 dopamine D2 receptors in the pituitary, reducing prolactin release - the key mechanism.
Pharmacological Actions
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
Eases cyclical breast pain (mastalgia) and menstrual-cycle complaints including cramping. The proposed mechanism is dopaminergic suppression of latent hyperprolactinaemia.
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).
Reported adverse events are mild and reversible (nausea, headache, gastrointestinal upset, menstrual changes, acne, itching or rash).
Because it acts on dopamine and the hormonal axis, avoid alongside dopamine-antagonist (antipsychotic) or dopamine-agonist drugs and use caution with hormonal medicines (oral contraceptives, HRT) and hormone-sensitive conditions.
Avoid during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A systematic review found only poor-grade evidence (theoretical, expert opinion and in vitro) suggesting oestrogenic, progesteronic, uterine-stimulant and emmenagogue activity, and expert opinion actively conflicts on whether chastetree increases or decreases lactation. The precaution rests on absence of safety data rather than on demonstrated harm.
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]
Deciduous shrub or small tree with slender, aromatic, palmately compound leaves of narrow, lance-shaped leaflets, greyish-downy beneath. Small, fragrant, lilac to violet flowers are borne in long, slender terminal spikes, followed by small, dark, peppercorn-like berries with a peppery, aromatic taste.[1]
Habitat
Native to Europe and temperate Asia and widely naturalised in North America; grows on disturbed, sunny ground - roadsides, waste places, hedgebanks and dry, calcareous or well-drained soils.[9]
Native to the Mediterranean region and Central Asia, growing along riverbanks, streamsides and coastal scrub; widely cultivated in warm-temperate climates worldwide.[1]
Harvesting
The ripe berries are collected in autumn once they have darkened and dried, then further dried and stored for use in decoctions or standardised extracts.
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]
Chasteberry has a long Mediterranean tradition, reflected in its 'chaste tree' name, historically used to reduce libido in monastic settings, and, more centrally to its modern use, as a traditional women's tonic for menstrual irregularities, premenstrual complaints and cyclical breast tenderness; standardised extracts are now among the best-clinically-studied herbal remedies for premenstrual syndrome, acting via dopaminergic modulation of prolactin.[1]
Preparations
Dried fruit extract standardised to agnuside/casticin content, taken as tablets or capsules; the form used in most clinical PMS and cyclical breast pain trials.
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.
Clinical trials for PMS commonly use extracts providing around 20-40 mg of dried fruit extract daily, taken over several menstrual cycles for full effect. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
References
Drug Class Interactions
Not documented
Lookalikes Review
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
- van Die, M.D., Burger, H.G., Teede, H.J. and Bone, K.M (2012) 'Vitex agnus-castus extracts for female reproductive disorders: a systematic review of clinical trials', Planta Medica. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1327831 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0032-1327831 - Csupor, D., Lantos, T., Hegyi, P., Benko, R. and others (2019) 'Vitex agnus-castus in premenstrual syndrome: A meta-analysis of double-blind randomised controlled trials', Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 47, pp. 102190. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.024 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.024 - Verkaik, S., Kamperman, A.M., van Westrhenen, R. and Schulte, P.F.J (2017) 'The treatment of premenstrual syndrome with preparations of Vitex agnus castus: a systematic review and meta-analysis', American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 217(2), pp. 150-166. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2017.02.028 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.02.028 - Ooi, S.L., Watts, S., McClean, R. and Pak, S.C (2020) 'Vitex Agnus-Castus for the Treatment of Cyclic Mastalgia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis', Journal of Women's Health, 29(2), pp. 262-278. doi:10.1089/jwh.2019.7770 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2019.7770 - Holler, M., Steindl, H., Abramov-Sommariva, D., Kleemann, J. and others (2024) 'Use of Vitex agnus-castus in patients with menstrual cycle disorders: a single-center retrospective longitudinal cohort study', Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 309(5), pp. 2089-2098. doi:10.1007/s00404-023-07363-4 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-023-07363-4 - Cerqueira, R.O., Frey, B.N., Leclerc, E. and Brietzke, E (2017) 'Vitex agnus castus for premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder: a systematic review', Archives of Women's Mental Health, 20(6), pp. 713-719. doi:10.1007/s00737-017-0791-0 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-017-0791-0 - van Die, M.D., Burger, H.G., Teede, H.J. and Bone, K.M (2009) 'Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste-Tree/Berry) in the treatment of menopause-related complaints', Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(8), pp. 853-862. doi:10.1089/acm.2008.0447 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2008.0447 - Daniele, C., Thompson Coon, J., Pittler, M.H. and Ernst, E (2005) 'Vitex agnus castus: a systematic review of adverse events', Drug Safety. doi:10.2165/00002018-200528040-00004 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.2165/00002018-200528040-00004 - Wuttke, W., Jarry, H., Christoffel, V., Spengler, B. and Seidlova-Wuttke, D (2003) 'Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) - pharmacology and clinical indications', Phytomedicine, 10(4), pp. 348-357. doi:10.1078/094471103322004866 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1078/094471103322004866 - Kuruzum-Uz, A., Stroch, K., Demirezer, L.O. and Zeeck, A (2003) 'Glucosides from Vitex agnus-castus', Phytochemistry, 63(8), pp. 959-964. doi:10.1016/s0031-9422(03)00285-1 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9422(03)00285-1 - Rani, A. and Sharma, A (2013) 'The genus Vitex: A review', Pharmacognosy Reviews, 7(14), pp. 188-198. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.120522 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.4103/0973-7847.120522 - Mollazadeh, S. and Mirghafourvand, M. and Abdollahi, N. G (2019) 'The effects of Vitex agnus-castus on menstrual bleeding: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 17(1). doi:10.1515/jcim-2018-0053 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2018-0053 - Tha\c ci, S. and Krasniqi, B. and D\"ermaku-Sopjani, M. and Rifati-Nixha, A. and Abazi, S. and Sopjani, M (2022) 'Vasorelaxant effects of the Vitex agnus-castus extract', Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2022, pp. 7708781. doi:10.1155/2022/7708781 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7708781 - Puglia, L.T., Lowry, J. and Tamagno, G (2023) 'Vitex agnus castus effects on hyperprolactinaemia', Frontiers in Endocrinology. doi:10.3389/fendo.2023.1269781 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1269781 - Zeqiri, A. and Dermaku-Sopjani, M. and Sopjani, M (2022) 'The mechanisms underlying the role of Vitex agnus-castus in mastalgia', Bratislava Medical Journal, 123(12), pp. 913--918. doi:10.4149/BLL_2022_147 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.4149/BLL_2022_147 - Atmaca, M. and Kumru, S. and Tezcan, E (2003) 'Fluoxetine versus Vitex agnus castus extract in the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder', Human Psychopharmacology, 18(3), pp. 191--195. doi:10.1002/hup.470 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1002/hup.470 - Zamani, M. and Neghab, N. and Torabian, S (2012) 'Therapeutic effect of Vitex agnus castus in patients with premenstrual syndrome', Acta Medica Iranica, 50(2), pp. 101--106. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22359078/ Randomized trial
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22359078/ - Dugoua, J.-J. and Seely, D. and Perri, D. and Koren, G. and Mills, E (2008) 'Safety and efficacy of chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) during pregnancy and lactation', Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 15(1), pp. e74--e79. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18204102/ Meta-analysis / review
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18204102/
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.