The aim of the present study was to investigate the daily effect of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) root extract on epinephrine (E), norepinephrine (NE) , dopamine (DA) , serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) , and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contents in different brain areas (cerebellum, pons plus medulla oblongata, striatum, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus, midbrain and hippocampus) of male albino rats.The daily intraperitoneal ( i.p.) injection of 300 mg/kg body wt valerian for 30 days caused a significant increase in epinephrine ( E) content in pons plus medulla oblongata, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and in midbrain. Norepinephrine (NE) content was significantly increased in all brain areas tested except in cerebellum and cerebral cortex. Dopamine (DA) content was significantly increased in all tested brain areas except in cerebral cortex and hippocampus. moreover, there was also a significant increase in serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid (5-HIAA) contents in all tested brain areas. However, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content was significantly decreased in all tested brain areas. After the extract withdrawal, the increase in ( E, NE, DA, 5-HT) contents and the decrease in GABA content persisted in pons plus medulla oblongata, striatum, midbrain and hippocampus, and this might be due to regional differences toward the effect. The increase in E, NE, DA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA contents , at the same time the decrease in GABA content in the different brain areas of albino rats may be due to the presence of both valepotriates and valerenic acid in the extract which mediated the GABA ergic mechanisms including the inhibition of GABA metabolism and the increase in GABA synthesis and release, although agonized the

Valeriana jatamansi Jones is an important medicinal plant that grows wild in Himachal Pradesh, India. Molecular and biochemical diversity among 13 natural populations from Himachal Pradesh was assessed using RAPD and GC-MS to know the extent of existing variation. A total of seven genetically diverse groups have been identified based on RAPD analysis which corroborated well with the analysis based on chemical constituents. The essential oil yield ranged from 0.6% to 1.66% (v/w). A negative correlation between patchouli alcohol and viridiflorol, the two major valued constituents, limits the scope of their simultaneous improvement. However, other few populations like Chamba-II and Kandi-I were found promising for viridiflorol and patchouli alcohol, respectively. The analysis of chemical constitution of oil of the populations from a specific region revealed predominance of specific constituents indicating possibility of their collection/selection for specific end uses like phytomedicines. The prevalence of genetically diverse groups along with sufficient chemical diversity in a defined region clearly indicates the role of ecology in the maintenance of evolution of this species. Sufficient molecular and biochemical diversity detected among natural populations of this species will form basis for the future improvement.