Family : Valerianaceae

English : Spikenard, Indian nard, Musk root

Hindi : Jatamansi, Jatalasi

Gujarati : Jatamasi, Balchhad

Sanskrit : Jatamansi, Mansya

Part used : Rhizome

Botanical Description: An erect perrenial herb, 10 – 60 cm in height, with woody, long stout, root stocked covered with reddish brown fibres of the petioles of radical leaves; longitudinally nerved, elongate, spathulate, sessile, oblong or sub ovate, flowers rosy, pale pink or blue in dense cymes, fruits covered with ascending white hair and crowned by calyx teeth. The commercially available drug cnsists of a short portion of rhizome crowned with reddish brown fibres matted together forming a kind of network and appearing like a tail. It is highly aromatic and flowering and fruiting is from August to November.

It occurs in the alpine Himalayas, Sikkim, Nepal & Bhutan

Modern Pharmacological Action: The plant exhibited hepatoprotective activity, Cardio protective and hypolipidemic activity. Ethanol extract of the roots of N. jatamansi was studied for its anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity, alone and in combination with phenytoin in rats. The results demonstrated a significant increase in the seizure threshold by N. jatamansi root extrac, Antidepressant activity, Antiparkinson’s activity, Neuroprotective activity, Nootropic activity; N. jatamansi essential oil demonstrated fungistatic activity against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum. Animal studies done on jatamansone have reported antioestrogenic, antiarrhythmic, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, sedative and tranquilizing activities.