Pharmacognosy of Nepeta cataria

Abstract

Nepeta cataria Linn (Family Labiatae), commonly known as catnip, is a herbaceous plant and is a native of southeast Europe, Orient, Southwest Asia and Western temperate Himalayas. Leaves and flowering tops, which contain tannin and volatile oil are aromatic, carminative, tonic, diaphoretic, refrigerant, emmenagogue, antiseptic, stimulant and useful in infantile colic and hysteria. Leaves are deltoid-oval with double layers of palisade, petiole about as long as blade, arc shaped in t.s., having vascular bundle flanked by 2 smaller bundles in two projection; stem hollow in the middle; leaves, petioles and stems contain glandular and uniseriate, multicellular non glandular hairs; TLC of alcoholic extract in Benzene: Chloroform (1:1) shows 8 spots and UV absorbance shows strong peak at 212 nm; extractive values and ash values were also determined.