Valerenic acid

Category: terpenoid

Pharmacological Mechanism

Sesquiterpenoid; positive allosteric modulator at GABA-A β3 subunit. Primary anxiolytic + sleep-promoting bioactive in Valeriana officinalis root extracts. Standardized supplements often target ≥0.8% valerenic acid as a marker.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 1.1h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 6 mg (Range: 1–20 mg)

Target Organ Systems

• nervous

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 6440940
• Formula: C15H22O2
• Molecular weight: 234.34 g/mol
• InChIKey: FEBNTWHYQKGEIQ-SUKRRCERSA-N
• SMILES: C[C@@H]1CC[C@H](C2=C(CC[C@H]12)C)/C=C(\C)/C(=O)O