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Pharmacology and Toxicology of Nepeta cataria (Catmint) Species of Genus Nepeta: A Review

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Plant and Human Health, Volume 3

Abstract

Nepeta cataria has acted as the representative species of this genus as this has been the most intensively studied plant. The plant has also been known to contain essential oils, flavonoids, phenolic acid, steroids, terpenoids, and oxygenated terpenoid hydrocarbons. Traditionally, the plant has been used as a remedy for fever, cold, cough, stomach problems, diarrhea, sore throats, headaches, pneumonia, female problems, blood disorders, convulsions, rheumatism, and toothache. Further, leaves and flowering tops have acted as antispasmodic, carminative, stimulant, sedative, emmenagogue, and antiseptic. Furthermore, medicinally herbalists used this plant for the treatment of feverish cold, measles, chickenpox, period problems, nervousness, insomnia, and hypertension. Apart from these, pharmacological screening reported its antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, and spasmolytic properties. The extensive use of Nepeta cataria in folk medicine has justified its position as a key plant for genus Nepeta and its applications in pharmacology. Owing to its varied pharmacological properties, a sizable number of phytochemicals have been isolated till date, but many more are still to be discovered from the store of nature. This review is an evaluation of the present status of this species in terms of the latest information regarding the distribution, taxonomy, and traditional uses and with more emphasis on phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology.

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Acknowledgements

The first author is grateful to DST (Department of Science and Technology), Govt. of India, New Delhi, for financial assistance under INSPIRE programme (INSPIRE Code IF120715).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, Punjab, India

    Ajay Sharma & Damanjit Singh Cannoo

  2. Department of Food Engineering & Technology, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, Punjab, India

    G. A. Nayik

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  1. Ajay Sharma
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  2. G. A. Nayik
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  3. Damanjit Singh Cannoo
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Vice President of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences, Amann, Jordan

    Munir Ozturk

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Khalid Rehman Hakeem

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Sharma, A., Nayik, G.A., Cannoo, D.S. (2019). Pharmacology and Toxicology of Nepeta cataria (Catmint) Species of Genus Nepeta: A Review. In: Ozturk, M., Hakeem, K. (eds) Plant and Human Health, Volume 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04408-4_13

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