''Schizonepeta'' (Japanese catnip) is a genus of

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

s. It should not be confused with the true catnips of the genus ''

Nepeta ''Nepeta'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus name is reportedly in reference to Nepete, an ancient Etruscan city.

'' (also Lamiaceae) known for their euphoria-inducing effect on domestic cats. Used as a medicinal herb, ''Schizonepeta tenuifolia'' is cultivated chiefly in the provinces of

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

and

Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The above-ground parts are collected in autumn, or early winter, and dried in the shade. Its Chinese name is jing jie (荊芥) pronounced jīng jiè (

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...

). Other names include Herba seu Flos Schizonepetae Tenuifoliae, keigai (Japanese), and hyonggae (Korean).

Extracts

In animal studies, ''Schizonepeta tenuifolia'' extracts in high doses exhibit immunomodulation of the inflammatory response by regulating cytokine release, specifically the release of Th1 and Th2 cytokines from T cells as well as the unprimed CD4 T cells from differentiating into Th1 and Th2 cells. ''Schizonepeta'' also interrupts

histamine Histamine is an organic nitrogenous compound involved in local immune responses, as well as regulating physiological functions in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter for the brain, spinal cord, and uterus. Since histamine was discovered in ...

release from

mast cell A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a par ...

s to inhibit allergic reactions in rats.

Chemistry

''Schizonepeta tenuifolia'' contains the following constituents: :four monoterpenes: (−)-

menthone Menthone is a monoterpene with a minty flavor that occurs naturally in a number of essential oils. ''l''-Menthone (or (2''S'',5''R'')-''trans''-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexanone), shown at right, is the most abundant in nature of the four possible ...

, (+)-

pulegone Pulegone is a naturally occurring organic compound obtained from the essential oils of a variety of plants such as ''Nepeta cataria'' (catnip), ''Mentha piperita'', and pennyroyal. It is classified as a monoterpene. Pulegone is a clear colorles ...

, (−)-

limonene Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring ag ...

and (+)-

menthofuran Menthofuran is an organic compound found in a variety of essential oils including that of pennyroyal (''Mentha pulegium''). It is highly toxic and believed to be the primary toxin in pennyroyal responsible for its potentially fatal effects. Af ...

as the main bio-active and toxic constituents. :additional compounds: 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone,

β-myrcene Myrcene, or β-myrcene, is a monoterpene. A colorless oil, it occurs widely in essential oils. It is produced mainly semi-synthetically from ''Myrcia'', from which it gets its name. It is an intermediate in the production of several fragrances. α ...

, and

β-caryophyllene Caryophyllene (), more formally (−)-β-caryophyllene, (BCP), is a natural bicyclic sesquiterpene that is a constituent of many essential oils, especially clove oil, the oil from the stems and flowers of ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (cloves), the esse ...

References

External links

Lamiaceae Lamiaceae genera Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine {{alt-med-stub

Extracts

Chemistry

See also

References

External links