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This study provides a comprehensive pollen micromorphology within the Nepeta genus, revealing intricate details about the pollen grains' structure and characteristics. The findings shed light on the evolutionary and taxonomical aspects of this plant genus, offering valuable insights for botanists and researchers studying Nepeta species. The pollen grains of 18 Nepeta species were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) in Northern Pakistan. At the microscale, pollen quantitative measurements, qualitative traits, and diverse sculpturing patterns were reported and compared. Significant differences in pollen size, shape, ornamentation, and sculpturing patterns were discovered among the Nepeta species. Our data show that exine sculpturing is quite diverse, with most species exhibiting a reticulate perforate pollen pattern. Nepeta connata, Nepeta discolor, Nepeta elliptica, revealed a distinct bireticulate perforate exine stratification. Hexazonocolpate pollen is the most common. Furthermore, the surface membrane attributes of the colpus varied greatly, ranging from rough, scabrate, psilate, to sinuate patterns. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to discover the key factors influencing pollen diversity. PCA results showed that polar and equatorial diameters, colpi size, and exine thickness were the most influential pollen features between Nepeta species. This study adds to our understanding of pollen morphology in the Nepeta genus, offering information on the vast range of characteristics found in this economically important group. The extensive characterization of pollen features provides useful insights for the categorization and differentiation of Nepeta species, adding to the Lamiaceae micromorphology., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The mosquito species Aedes aegypti (L.) is known to act as a vector in the transmission of various diseases, including dengue fever and yellow fever. The use of insect repellents is one of precautionary measures used to mitigate the risk of these diseases in humans by reducing mosquito biting. Nepetalactone, a potent natural insect repellent primarily found in catnip (Nepeta cataria) essential oil, has emerged as a promising candidate for mosquito repellence. Here, we evaluated the potential of catnip essential oil (> 95% nepetalactone) for use as a mosquito repellent. Using a Y-tube olfactometer and human hands as an attractant, we analysed the effectiveness of catnip oil at repelling the mosquito species Aedes aegypti. We tested a range of dilutions of catnip essential oil and found that concentrations as low as 2% were effective at repelling > 70% of mosquitoes for between one and four hours after repellent application. These findings suggest that nepetalactone could potentially be used as a natural, effective alternative to synthetic mosquito repellents, thereby offering protection against vector-borne diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Nowadays, the use of herbal extracts for the production of nanoparticles has attracted a lot of attention due to the fast reaction, economy, and compatibility with the environment. The aim of the present study is the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from the extracts of Nepeta sessilifolia Bunge and Salvia hydrangea DC. ex Benth. and their antibacterial activity was measured., Methods: For this purpose, the flowering branch of N. sessilifolia and the flower of S. hydrangea were randomly collected from three places, respectively, from the rangelands of Aqdash Mountain and Biabe in Isfahan province, Iran in May 2021. After extracting aqueous extracts by hot method, silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the biological method. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles were analyzed by UV-Vis spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, and FESEM-EDAX. The antibacterial effect was evaluated by diffusion method in agar and determination of minimum growth inhibitory and lethal concentration (MIC and MBC) by dilution method in liquid culture medium., Results: Based on the results of UV-Vis spectroscopy, silver nanoparticles synthesized from N. sessilifolia and S. hydrangea had distinct absorption peaks at wavelengths of 407 to 424 nm and 414 to 415 nm, respectively. The crystalline nature of these synthetic silver nanoparticles was confirmed by XRD. FESEM analysis showed that the size of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles from N. sessilifolia and S. hydrangea extracts were 10-50 nm and 10-80 nm, respectively, and were cubic. The results of diffusion in agar showed that the largest diameter of the growth inhibition zone belonging to the synthetic silver nanoparticles from both extracts of N. sessilifolia (~ 26.00 mm) and S. hydrangea (~ 23.50 mm) was against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. The most vigorous killing activity by synthetic silver nanoparticles from N. sessilifolia extract was against Klebsiella pneumoniae with a value of 250 μg/mL, two times stronger than rifampin., Conclusion: Therefore, the studied extracts can be suitable options for fast and safe green synthesis of silver nanoparticles effective against some bacterial strains. These synthetic silver nanoparticles can be used as possible options and have strong potential for the production of natural antibiotics., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

The aerial parts of Nepeta teucriifolia Willd. were extracted with the solvents of different polarities. The antiproliferative activities of the extracts were evaluated against rat brain tumor (C6) and human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) cell lines. The phytochemical screening of the extracts was performed with TOF-LC/MS. The CH 2 Cl 2 and EtOAc extracts showed considerable antiproliferative activities against HeLa cells at higher concentration (250 µg mL -1 ). The CH 2 Cl 2 extract was found more active than the others on both cells. The phytochemical studies of the active extract led to the isolation of three new iridoids, teucriifolian A-C ( 1-3 ). The structure elucidations of the new compounds were performed using HPLC-TOF/MS, 1D and 2D NMR techniques. The compounds 1-3 were evaluated in terms of their antiproliferative activities against HeLa and C6 cells, respectively. The results indicated that only 2 had moderate antiproliferative activity against HeLa cells at 250 µg mL -1 .

This study investigated the encapsulation of Nepeta hormozganica (NHEO) and Nepeta Dschuprensis (NDEO) essential oils into chitosan nanoparticles (CSN) via a simple ionic gelation method with tripolyphosphate (TPP). Chitosan (CS) is prepared by demineralizing, deproteinizing, and deacetylating shrimp shells waste in high yield (70.2 %). SEM, TEM, FT-IR, TGA, and XRD techniques were employed to characterize the encapsulated essential oils ((NHEO-CSN) and (NDEO-CSN)). The prepared EOs-CSN and CSN are found with particle sizes of 100-150 nm and 400-500 nm, respectively, and regular distribution. The encapsulation efficiency of encapsulated Nepeta hormozganica and Dschuprensis essential oils were found to be 73.64 % and 75.91 %, respectively. The synthesized nanocapsules were evaluated for antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporium, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Pythium aphanidermatum, Alternaria alternata, Rhizactonia Solani, and Botrytis cinerea. Antifungal studies show that encapsulated essential oils increased antifungal efficiency by up to 100 %., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The genus Nepeta belongs to the largest Lamiaceae family, with 300 species, which are distributed throughout the various regions of Africa, Asia, India, and America. Along with other plant families distinguished by their medicinal and therapeutic values, the Nepeta genus of Lameaceae remains relatively valuable. Hence, the phytochemicals of N. paulsenii Briq. were extracted using different plant parts, i.e., leaves, stem, roots, flowers, and the whole plant by using various solvents (ethanol, water, and ethyl acetate), obtaining 15 fractions. Each extract of dried plant material was analyzed by FT-IR and GC-MS to identify the chemical constituents. The cytotoxicity of each fraction was analyzed by MTT assay and mitochondrial membrane potential and nuclear condensation assays against lung cancer cells. Among the ethyl acetate and ethanolic extracts, the flowers showed the best results, with IC 50 values of 51.57 μg/mL and 50.58 μg/mL, respectively. In contrast, among the water extracts of the various plant segments, the stem showed the best results, with an IC 50 value of 123.80 μg/mL. 5-flourouracil was used as the standard drug, providing an IC 50 value of 83.62 μg/mL. The Hoechst 33342 stain results indicated apoptotic features, i.e., chromatin dissolution and broken down, fragmented, and crescent-shaped nuclei. The ethanolic extracts of the flowers showed more pronounced apoptotic effects on the cells. The mitochondrial membrane potential indicated that rhodamine 123 fluorescence signals suppressed mitochondrial potential due to the treatment with the extracts. Again, the apoptotic index of the ethanolic extract of the flowers remained the highest. Hence it can be concluded that the flower part of N. paulsenii Briq. was found to be the most active against the A459 human lung cancer cell line.

Essential oil of Nepeta racemosa Lam. was extracted and characterized to determine its antimicrobial activity and potential use in applications. The essential oil was loaded on polyvinyl alcohol-pullulan films and gels and characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy before having its antimicrobial capacities assessed. The essential oil extracted from Nepeta racemosa Lam. was characterized using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy, which indicated that the most abundant component was nepetalic acid (55.5%), followed by eucalyptol (10.7%) and other compounds with concentrations of about 5% or less. The essential oil, as well as the loaded films and gels, exhibited good antibacterial activity on both gram-positive and gram-negative strains, with growth inhibition zones larger in some cases than for gentamicin, indicating excellent premises for using these essential-oil-loaded materials for applications in the food industry or biomedicine.

The problems of drug resistance in bacteria have become one of the daily challenges of the clinical treatment of patients, which inevitably forces us to use agents other than common antibiotics. Among these, we can take help from different properties and applications of nanoparticles (NPs). In this work, we evaluate the antibacterial activity of biosynthesized selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) against standard strains of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. The production of biosynthesized SeNPs was proved by ultraviolet-visible, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffractometer, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and Zeta potential methods. The cytotoxicity effect of SeNPs was investigated by MTT assay. Disk diffusion agar (DDA) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests were performed on the mentioned bacteria using different classes of standard antibiotics and SeNPs separately. The impact of SeNPs combined with the desired antibiotics for better treatment of these infections was evaluated by checkerboard assay to determine the synergism effect. After the confirmation results based on the biosynthesis of SeNPs, both standard bacterial strains were susceptible to SeNPs and had a zone of inhibition using the DDA test. Also, the results of MICs showed that biosynthesized SeNPs in lower concentrations than antibiotics cause no growth of bacteria. On the other hand, according to the checkerboard assay, SeNPs had a synergistic effect with conventional antibiotics. The antibacterial sensitivity tests demonstrated the inhibition of bacterial growth in the presence of lower concentrations of SeNPs than common antibiotics. This property can be exerted in future applications to solve the drug resistance obstacle of microorganisms in bacterial diseases., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

In this work, the effects of salt stress on Nepeta racemosa Lam. were studied to analyze the possibility of using it as a potential culture for salinity-affected soils. A total of nine concentrations of salts-NaCl (18, 39, and 60 mg/100 g soil), Na 2 SO 4 (50, 85, and 120 mg/100 g soil), and a mixture (9 g NaCl + 25 g Na 2 SO 4 , 19 g NaCl + 43 g Na 2 SO 4 , and 30 g NaCl + 60 g Na 2 SO 4 /100 g soil)-simulated real salinity conditions. Environmental electron microscopy offered information about the size and distribution of glandular trichomes, which are very important structures that contain bioactive compounds. The chlorophyll pigments, polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were determined based on spectrophotometric protocols. The results have shown a different impact of salinity depending on the salt type, with an increase in bioactive compound concentrations in some cases. The highest polyphenol concentrations were obtained for Na 2 SO 4 variants (47.05 and 46.48 mg GA/g dw for the highest salt concentration in the first and second year, respectively), while the highest flavonoid content was found for the salt mixtures (42.77 and 39.89 mg QE/g dw for the highest concentrations of salt in the first and, respectively, the second year), approximately 100% higher than control. From the Pearson analysis, strong correlations were found between chlorophyll pigments (up to 0.93), antioxidant activity and yield for the first harvest (up to 0.38), and antioxidant activity and flavonoid content for the second harvest (up to 0.95). The results indicate the possibility of growing the studied plants in salt-stress soils, obtaining higher concentrations of bioactive compounds.

Medicinal plants are valuable species, but their geographic distributions may be limited or exposed to extinction by climate change. Therefore, research on medicinal plants in the face of climate change is fundamental for developing conservation strategies. Distributional patterns for a semi-endemic medicinal plant species, Nepeta glomerulosa, distributed in southwestern and central Asia was determined based on a maximum-entropy algorithm. We evaluated potential geographic shifts in suitability patterns for this species under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) of climate change for 2060. Our models based on climatic features indicate that the species occupies montane areas under current conditions; transfer of the model to future climate scenarios indicated that suitable areas for the species will increase in general, and the species will likely track its favored set of climate conditions. But the types and degrees of these changes differ among areas. Our findings can be used to inform conservation management programs for medicinal, endemic, and endangered species that probably respond similarly to climate change in southwestern and central Asia., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Main Conclusion: Using virus-induced gene silencing, we demonstrated that the enzymes GES, ISY, and MLPL are responsible for nepetalactone biosynthesis in Nepeta cataria. Nepetalactone is the main iridoid that is found in the Nepeta genus and is well-known for its psychoactive effect on house cats. Moreover, there is a burgeoning interest into the effect of nepetalactone on insects. Although the enzymes for nepetalactone biosynthesis have been biochemically assayed in vitro, validation of the role that these enzymes have in planta has not been demonstrated. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a silencing method that relies on transient transformation and is an approach that has been particularly successful when applied to a variety of non-model plants. Here, we use a recently designed visual-marker dependent VIGS system to demonstrate that the nepetalactone biosynthetic enzymes GES, ISY, and MLPL impact nepetalactone biosynthesis in Nepeta cataria., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

As a popular medicinal plant traditionally used in Tibet of China, Nepeta angustifolia C. Y. Wu is mainly administered to treat apoplexia, cerebral haemorrhage, fainting and epilepsy and other symptoms, while its effect on hyperuricemia is still unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the improvement of the 70% ethanol extract of Nepeta angustifolia C. Y. Wu in fructose-induced hyperuricemic mice. The results revealed that Nepeta angustifolia C. Y. Wu significantly decreased blood glucose and blood lipid levels, as well as lowering the urinary levels of uric acid, creatinine and urea nitrogen. Meanwhile, it effectively restored the serum levels of uric acid, creatinine and urea nitrogen and inhibited serum and hepatic XOD activities and renal oxidative stress, while suppressing the secretions of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in kidney. Nepeta angustifolia C. Y. Wu also attenuated the infiltration of inflammatory cells and reduced the production and accumulation of glycogen and collagen, while restoring the dysregulated protein expressions of renal URAT1, GLUT9, OAT1 and OAT3. In summary, our results support the idea that Nepeta angustifolia C. Y. Wu is a promising agent for treating hyperuricemia.

Background: Conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, often affect the patients' quality of life due to their serious side effects, indicating the urgent need to develop less toxic and more effective alternative treatments. Medicinal plants and their derivatives are invaluable sources for such remedies. The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition, anticancer and antibacterial activities of Nepeta mahanesis essential oil (EO)., Methods: The chemical composition of EO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Cytotoxicity and apoptosis/necrosis induction of EO was analyzed by MTT assay and Flow cytometry. Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the Bax/Bcl2 gene expression. Also, the effect of the EO on the cells' mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and ROS level was assessed. DPPH assay was done to assess the free radical scavenging activity of the EO. The Antimicrobial activity, MIC, and MBC of the oil were determined via well-diffusion and broth microdilution methods., Results: Based on the GC-MS analysis, 24 compounds were identified in the EO, of which 1,8-cineole (28.5%), Nepetalactone (18.8%), germacrene D (8.1%), and β-pinene (7.2%), were the major compounds. Also, the EO showed considerable cytotoxicity against MCF-7, Caco-2, SH-SY5Y, and HepG2 after 24 and 48 h treatment with IC 50 values between 0.0.47 to 0.81 mg/mL. It was revealed that this compound increased the Bax/Bcl2 ratio in the MCF-7 cells and induced apoptosis (27%) and necrosis (18%) in the cells. Moreover, the EO treatment led to a substantial decrease in MMP, which is indicative of apoptosis induction. A significant increase in ROS level was also detected in the cells following exposure to the EO. This compound showed strong DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC 50 : 30). It was also effective against Gram-positive E. faecalis (ATCC 29,212) and Gram-negative E. coli (ATCC 11,333) bacteria., Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that the EO of N. mahanesis could be considered a bioactive product with biomedical applications that can be used as an alternative cancer treatment and applied in the biomedical industries., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Nepeta is one of the largest genera of the Lamiaceae family. Nepeta species are commonly employed in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments, as well as food additives. In addition, they also come to the fore with their rich phytochemical content. In the present study, the quantitative phytochemical content of methanolic extracts and infusions prepared from the aerial parts of 14 Nepeta taxa collected from Turkey and their cytotoxic effects on two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, were investigated by using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl))-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium-bromide) test. According to HPLC-PDA analysis, N. racemosa methanolic extract had the highest ursolic acid content with 165.9 mg/g extract. Total sterol, total iridoid, and total triterpenoid content were determined to be greatest in the methanolic extracts of N. meyeri, N. trichocalyx and N. phyllochlamys . The MTT experiment demonstrated that certain Nepeta species suppressed the growth of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Statistical analysis revealed a strong correlation between the cytotoxic effects of the extracts and their triterpene content. In conclusion, the data obtained from this study are important in terms of forming a basis for advanced anticancer activity studies on breast cancer with Nepeta sp.

This study was carried out aiming to evaluate the repellent and acaricidal activity of major ingredient compounds from coconut oil including their methyl ester derivatives and catnip oil against nymphs and larvae of Amblyomma sculptum. Repellent candidates, coconut oil free fatty acids (coconut FFA mainly C 12 , C 10 and C 8 acid); lauric acid (C 12 acid); capric acid (C 10 acid); methyl laurate; methyl caprate and 10 % each of C 12 , C 10 and C 8 acid (1:1:1) in lavender oil formulation (CFA in lavender formula) and catnip oil (Nepeta cataria), were screened using a Petri dish bioassay to assess repellency. Catnip oil, methyl caprate, methyl laurate, and CFA in lavender formulation repelled ticks strongly (P < 0.05) at almost all times evaluated, with an average of 77.8-100% repellency. Some candidate repellents with consistent strong repellence observed were selected for further evaluation, with coconut CFA in lavender formula showing a repellency lasted up to 7 days, while those of catnip oil and methyl caprate were active for 4 and 3 days, respectively. For the acaricide test, five concentrations (2.5; 5; 10; 15 and 20 mg/mL) were evaluated using the larval packet test. Only CFA in lavender formula and two methyl esters showed acaricidal activity, with methyl laurate presenting the strongest toxicity at 15 mg/mL concentration, which was effective against more than 93 % of the tested larvae. Catnip oil caused no mortality of A. scultptum larvae in all concentrations tested., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, scientific interest in natural products has burgeoned. The genus Nepeta is one of the most important medicinal plants belongs to family Lamiaceae. In this study, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidant potential and distribution of individual phenolic compounds by HPLC-MS/MS were determined in native Nepeta fissa Benth species. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity (by DPPH and FRAP assays) values were measured in N. fissa as 43.07 mg GAE/g dw, 3.77 mg q/g dw, 197.85 µg/mL (IC 50 value) and 1.15 μmol Fe ++ /g dw, respectively. The most abundant flavonoid, phenolic acid, and anthraquinone in the analyzed N. fissa extracts were rutin, ferulic acid, and chrysophanol, respectively. As a conclusion, results of present study showed that N. fissa was rich in some phenolic compounds and exhibited antioxidant activity. The obtained results can provide new safe resources to the development of new products for the pharmaceutical industries.

Nepeta tenuifolia Briq. (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant historically used in the East Asia region to treat cold and fever, and it is currently used as a clinically effective treatment for respiratory diseases. We previously found that monoterpenoids are the dominant volatile secondary metabolites in N. tenuifolia and their biosynthesis occurs in peltate glandular trichomes. To gain an insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying monoterpenoid biosynthesis in N. tenuifolia, we conducted transcriptome sequencing and examined the expression differences in monoterpene molecular pathway-related genes in different tissues and growth stages by qRT-RCR. In total, six p-menthane monoterpene biosynthetic genes in the (+)-menthone pathway were identified and cloned successfully based on transcriptome data. Moreover, the major constituents, including (+)-limonene, (-)-pulegone and (+)-menthone showed greater accumulation in the spikes than in other organs, such as the expression levels of related key enzyme genes. Additionally, the relative expression of pulegone reductase was the highest at 84 days, showing an inverse trend from (-)-pulegone relative content and leading to (+)-menthone accumulation in peltate glandular trichomes. Finished cloning of the gene for limonene 3-hydroxylase in N. tenuifolia (NtL3OH), heterologous expression in yeast, and in vitro assays were performed for functional characterization. Our study provides an important resource for further research of secondary metabolism of monoterpenes in peltate glandular trichomes of N. tenuifolia and other homologous species., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Nepeta baytopii is a poorly studied, endemic Nepeta species ( Lamiaceae ) of Turkey. For the first time, the biological activities (antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxicity properties) of the hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, water/methanol, and water extracts and essential oil prepared from N. baytopii aerial parts were assessed. Hydro-methanol (41.25 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g) and water extracts (50.30 mg GAE/g), respectively showed the highest radical scavenging (94.40 and 129.22 mg Trolox equivalent (TE)/g, for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid radical scavenging assays) and reducing (229.37 and 129.55 mg TE/g, for ferric-reducing antioxidant power and cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity assays) capacities in vitro. An interestingly high inhibition was observed for ethyl acetate extract against butyrylcholinesterase (10.85 mg galantamine equivalent/g). The methanol extract showed high cytotoxicity (31.7%) against HepG2 cells. Caryophyllene oxide was identified in high concentrations in the essential oil (39.3%). Luteolin and apigenin and their derivatives were identified from the methanol and water extracts. The results obtained from this study highlighted that the abundance of highly bioactive compounds from Nepeta baytopii ensures the multiple biological activities of the tested extracts, and this suggests a potential use in the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields, and therefore should be investigated further.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a common garden herb well known for its euphoric and hallucinogenic effects on domestic cats, 1-3 for its medicinal properties, 4 , 5 as well as for its powerful repellent action on insects. 6 , 7 Catnip extracts have been proposed as a natural alternative to synthetic insect repellents, such as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET), 8 , 9 but how catnip triggers aversion in insects is not known. Here, we show that, both in Drosophila melanogaster flies and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the major mediator of catnip repellency is the widely conserved chemical irritant receptor TRPA1. In vitro, both catnip extract and its active ingredient nepetalactone can directly activate fly and mosquito TRPA1. In vivo, D. melanogaster and Ae. aegypti TRPA1 mutants are no longer repelled by catnip and nepetalactone. Interestingly, our data show that some, but not all, fly and mosquito TRPA1 variants are catnip targets. Moreover, unlike the broad TRPA1 agonist allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) (an active ingredient of tear gas and wasabi), catnip does not activate human TRPA1. Our results support the use of catnip and nepetalactone as insect-selective irritants and suggest that, despite TRPA1's broad conservation, insect TRPA1 can be targeted for the development of safe repellents., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Endemic plants of the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh (KK) floristic province in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northwestern Afghanistan are often rare and range-restricted. Because of these ranges, plants in the KK are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Species distribution modelling (SDM) can be used to assess the vulnerability of species under climate change. Here, we evaluated range size changes for three (critically) endangered endemic species that grow at various elevations (Nepeta binaloudensis, Phlomoides binaludensis, and Euphorbia ferdowsiana) using species distribution modelling. Using the HadGEM2-ES general circulation model and two Representative Concentration Pathways Scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5), we predicted potential current and future (2050 and 2070) suitable habitats for each species. The ensemble model of nine algorithms was used to perform this prediction. Our results indicate that while two of species investigated would benefit from range expansion in the future, P. binaludensis will experience range contraction. The range of E. ferdowsiana will remain limited to the Binalood mountains, but the other species will have suitable habitats in mountain ranges across the KK. Using management efforts (such as fencing) with a focus on providing elevational migration routes at local scales in the KK is necessary to conserve these species. Additionally, assisted migration among different mountains in the KK would be beneficial to conserve these plants. For E. ferdowsiana, genetic diversity storage employing seed banks and botanical garden preservation should be considered.

Two Balkan Peninsula endemics, Nepeta rtanjensis and N. argolica subsp. argolica , both characterized by specialized metabolite profiles predominated by iridoids and phenolics, are differentiated according to the stereochemistry of major iridoid aglycone nepetalactone (NL). For the first time, the present study provides a comparative analysis of antimicrobial and immunomodulating activities of the two Nepeta species and their major iridoids isolated from natural sources- cis,trans -NL, trans,cis -NL, and 1,5,9-epideoxyloganic acid (1,5,9- e DLA), as well as of phenolic acid rosmarinic acid (RA). Methanol extracts and pure iridoids displayed excellent antimicrobial activity against eight strains of bacteria and seven strains of fungi. They were especially potent against food-borne pathogens such as L. monocytogenes , E. coli , S. aureus , Penicillium sp., and Aspergillus sp. Targeted iridoids were efficient agents in preventing biofilm formation of resistant P. aeruginosa strain, and they displayed additive antimicrobial interaction. Iridoids are, to a great extent, responsible for the prominent antimicrobial activities of the two Nepeta species, although are probably minor contributors to the moderate immunomodulatory effects. The analyzed iridoids and RA, individually or in mixtures, have the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry as potent antimicrobials, and in the food industry to increase the shelf life and safety of food products.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Nepeta is a multiregional genus of the "Lamiaceae" (Labiatae or Mint) family. Species of Nepeta are a valuable part of traditional medicine and used extensively, particularly in the Himalayan region of India (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh), Pakistan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwaand Pakistani Kashmir), Nepal (Baglund district), also in China and hilly regions of Turkey and Iran. Nepeta species are extensively used as a remedy against a variety of ailments and conditions like chicken pox, tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia, influenza, measles, stomach disorders, eye complaints, respiratory disorders, asthma, colds, coughs etc. AIM OF THE REVIEW: The main aim of this review is to present a comprehensive and detailed study on traditional uses, pharmacology, phytochemistry, toxicology of Nepeta species and suggest future direction on the design and conduct of various preparations, either alone or in blends with prevailing conventional remedies. The review also emphasizes encouraging researchers towards the wide range of pharmaceutical applications of the various species of Nepeta for their better use and exploration in the future., Material and Methods: All the relevant data and information on different species of Nepeta were assembled using different databases, such as Science Direct, Springer, PubMed, Taylor and Francis imprints, Chemspider, Google scholar, review and research articles from peer-reviewed journals and unpublished data. Some select 'grey literature' sources viz. ethnobotanical books, chapters, Wikipedia and webpages were also studied., Results: A variety of bioactive secondary metabolites and nutraceuticals has been isolated from various species of Nepeta. These bioactive compounds belong to different classes of secondary metabolites, such as phenolic acids and their glycosides (rosmarinic acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid), flavonoids and their glycosides (cirsimaritin, salvigenin, luteolin, apigenin), iridoids (nepetalactones and their derivatives), terpenoids (1,8-cineole, linalool, β-caryophyllene, germacrene D, parnapimaro, β-amyrin, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid), steroids (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol), lignans, amino acids, carbohydrates, volatile oils, etc. The species of the genus Nepeta possess a variety of pharmacological activities namely anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive, anti-alzheimer, anticancer and cytotoxic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticidal and along with other biological activities., Conclusion: The species of the genus Nepeta contains a rich source of various bioactive compounds, which are well tolerated as traditional medicines. In fact, different species of Nepeta are widely used in a variety of traditional medicinal systems all around the world. Owing to the variety of pharmacological properties of Nepeta species, more comprehensive and inclusive clinical trials are necessary for the utilization of different Nepeta species against the treatment of a wide range of ailments. There are also various other uses such as food, cosmetic and agriculture that can be investigated or explored in future. Some of the major domains that can be explored within this genus are the investigation of different species for their unexplored biological potential, isolation and characterization of new bioactive constituents and finally, investigation of new applications and possible commercialization of these bioactive leads. No doubt, there are various viable research domains outside those discussed above, but presently for the purposes of this review we will only emphasize the activities herein., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Phosphinothricin (PPT) is one of the most widely used herbicides. PTT targets glutamine synthetase (GS) activity in plants, and its phytotoxicity is ascribed to ammonium accumulation and reactive oxygen species bursts, which drives rapid lipid peroxidation of cell membranes. In agricultural fields, PPT is extensively sprayed on plant foliage; however, a portion of the herbicide reaches the soil. According to the present study, PPT absorbed via roots can be phytotoxic to Arabidopsis, inducing more adverse effects in roots than in shoots. Alterations in plant physiology caused by 10 days exposure to herbicide via roots are reflected through growth suppression, reduced chlorophyll content, perturbations in the sugar and organic acid metabolism, modifications in the activities and abundances of GS, catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. Antagonistic interaction of Nepeta rtanjensis essential oil ( Nr EO) and PPT, emphasizes the existence of complex control mechanisms at the transcriptional and posttranslational level, which result in the mitigation of PPT-induced ammonium toxicity and in providing more efficient antioxidant defense of plants. Simultaneous application of the two agents in the field cannot be recommended; however, Nr EO might be considered as the PPT post-treatment for reducing harmful effects of herbicide residues in the soil on non-target plants.

Iridoids are monoterpenes that are produced by various plants as chemical defense molecules. Lichman et al. recently described the timeline of molecular events that underpin the re-emergence of iridoid biosynthesis in an independent lineage of aromatic plants (catnip). This study represents a benchmark for studying enzyme and metabolite evolution in different clades across the tree of life., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Engineering bioscaffolds for improved cutaneous tissue regeneration remains a healthcare challenge. To help address this problem, we report on the fabrication and characterization of electrospun polyvinyl alcohol and chitosan (PVA/Chit) nanofiber mats loaded honey and Nepeta dschuparensis plant for faster wound healing applications. The morphology of nanofiber mats was examined by SEM and TEM. The physicochemical and thermal stability characterizations were done by FT-IR and TGA/DTA, which reveal the presence of honey and desired plant into the nanofibers. PVA/Chit@Nep/Hon was investigated for wound healing therapy as a potential therapeutic agent. The in vivo wound healing studies on the rats for 21 days revealed the wound healing faster within three weeks by the incorporation of honey and plant into the nanofiber mats and hence these nanofiber mats show great potential in acute and chronic wound healing applications., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A number of Nepeta species (fam. Lamiaceae) are interesting medicinal crops for arid and semi-arid areas, due to their ability to maintain essential developmental and physiological processes and to rationalize their specialized metabolism under water deficit growth conditions. The present research is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to investigate the molecular background of the dehydration-induced changes in specialized metabolism of Nepeta species, which will help to understand relations between dehydration stress on one hand and biomass production and yield of nepetalactone (NL) on the other. During the 6 days exposure of Nepeta rtanjensis Diklić & Milojević and Nepeta argolica Bory & Chaub. ssp. argolica plants to PEG-induced dehydration stress under experimental in vitro conditions, decrease in transcript levels of the majority of 10 NL biosynthetic genes, and some of the 5 transcription factors (TFs) were recorded, simultaneously with the initial reduction in NL content. The two model species evidently employ similar strategies in response to severe dehydration stress; however N. rtanjensis is highlighted as the species more efficient in maintaining NL amounts in tissues. The results suggest trichome-specific and co-ordinately regulated NL biosynthesis at the level of gene expression, with trichome enriched MYC2 and YABBY5 TFs being the potential positive regulators. Manipulation of such TFs can be effective for engineering the NL biosynthetic pathway, and for the increased production of cis,trans-NL in N. argolica ssp. argolica and trans,cis-NL in N. rtanjensis., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, the essential oil and aroma compositions of Nepeta heliotropifolia (NH) and N. congesta subsp. cryptantha (NC) were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC/FID), and their phenolic compounds by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In addition, antioxidant, cytotoxic, anticholinesterase, urease, and tyrosinase activities of essential oils obtained from NH and NC aerial parts and ethanol extracts prepared from different parts of NH and NC were investigated. The major constituent of water-distilled essential oils was found to be germacrene D (36.7% and 38.5%, respectively), and their main aroma component was eucalyptol (48.0% and 24.7%, respectively). Among the studied parts of NH and NC, their flowers extracts were found to be the richest in phenolic compounds and in which the most abundant compound was rosmarinic acid (8,909.91 and 4,317.20 μg/g, respectively). NH and NC flower extracts exhibited also strong antioxidant activity in DPPH, ABTS, and CUPRAC assays. Among the tested samples, NH essential oil indicated the best cytotoxic effect against PDF, HT-29, and MCF-7 (IC 50 52.34, 25.89, and 44.70 μg/ml, respectively), and the highest butyrylcholinesterase (77.21 ± 1.12% inhibition) and moderate acetylcholinesterase (41.36 ± 0.69% inhibition) inhibitory activities. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This is the first report on the essential oil and aroma compositions, the phenolic compounds, the antioxidant with total phenolic and flavonoid contents, cytotoxic, anticholinesterase, urease, and tyrosinase activities of Nepeta heliotropifolia and N. congesta subsp. cryptantha, except for their essential oil compositions. The reported results suggested that Nepeta heliotropifolia and N. congesta subsp. cryptantha flowers being rich in rosmarinic acid and having strong antioxidant potential, and NH essential oil possessing significant cytotoxic and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory effect could be source for nutraceutical, food, and drug industries., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is a versatile tool for genetic studies that has been applied to a variety of plant species. With the advent of more accessible genomic and transcriptomic technology applied to an increasing range of plants, tools such as VIGS are being adapted to more non-model plants to explore genes relevant to agriculture and chemical discovery. In this protocol, we adapted VIGS technology to target genes in Nepeta cataria (catnip) and Nepeta mussinii (catmint). These plants carry biochemical and economical value for their production of nepetalactone, an iridoid which provokes a strong reaction in both house cats and aphids. We describe a method to target magnesium chelatase subunit H (CHlH), a gene often targeted as a visual marker for VIGS. Furthermore, we describe a method to simultaneously target two genes in a single plant, which aids in the study of genes found in key biochemical steps in the production of nepetalactone. This approach, which was successfully applied in two members of the Lamiaceae family (mint), could be adapted to other members of the mint family with economical and chemical value.

Nepeta viscida and N. nuda subsp. nuda and N. × tmolea were examined in this study. Mainly fresh leaf pieces, dried with silica grains, were used for DNA extraction procedures via DNA isolation kits. Standard PCR techniques were executed using three different primer sets (one nuclear DNA region (nrITS) and two chloroplast DNA regions ( rpl 32- trn L and trn A(Leu)- trn A(Phe)- trn L-F). DNA sequences were analysed and evaluated using different molecular approaches and software. Consequently, the inconstant molecular structure and hybrid nature of N. × tmolea specimens were shown and interpreted in this study. According to our result, N. × tmolea have some intermediate characters compared to its parents. nrITS data give more information phylogenetically, and also the most polymorphic loci are seen in nrITS data. Morphological and molecular data contribute to define separation of N. × tmolea. Consequently, the inconstant molecular structure and hybrid nature of N. × tmolea specimens were shown and interpreted in this study., (Taner Özcan.)

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province is one of the most important endemism states of the flora of Iran with a considerable plant species diversity. In the present study, the cytotoxic activity of 13 plant species grown in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari have been evaluated on prostate (PC-3), breast (MCF-7), liver (HepG2), ovary (CHO), and melanoma (B16-F10) cancer cell lines. The cytotoxicity and apoptotic activity of methanol extracts was evaluated using resazurin reagent and flow cytometry of PI stained cells, respectively. Methanol extracts of Dionysia sawyeri , Stachys obtusicrena and Cicer oxyodon on CHO cell line ( p <0.05) and D. sawyer and Linum album on B16/F10 cell line ( p <0.05) showed significant cytotoxic effects and increased apoptosis. It is generally suggested that the plant extracts with low IC 50 values are likely to be used as anti-cancer compounds in reducing cancer progression in scientific studies.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine kitten preferences towards different scratchers and the effects of catnip and cat odor on kitten scratching behaviors., Methods: Two-choice preference tests were conducted to compare scratchers and preferred scratchers with or without additives (ie, catnip, catnip oil, cat hair) in six studies. Kittens (n = 40, <8 weeks old) had access to two scratchers on the floor of a simulated living room for 20 mins and interactions were video-recorded. The time each kitten spent scratching each scratcher was compared., Results: In study 1, the S-shaped cardboard was preferred over a hemp post with a toy on top, and no difference was observed in the other pairs of scratchers compared. In study 2, the S-shaped cardboard was preferred by kittens compared with a raised scratcher covered with window screen or with carpet, and no differences were observed between the latter two scratchers. In study 3, the scratcher covered with window screen set upright was preferred over the same scratcher laid horizontally on the floor. The S-shaped cardboard was preferred over the scratcher covered with bubble wrap. In study 4, kittens preferred the S-shaped cardboard over the scratchers covered with window screen or short-fiber carpet but not over the scratcher covered with long-fiber carpet. In study 5, the S-shaped cardboard was strongly preferred over the long cardboard and rectangular cardboard but not over the boat-shaped cardboard. In study 6, dried catnip plant, catnip oil spray or the hair from other cats did not alter the scratching behavior exhibited by the kittens vs the control S-shaped cardboard alone., Conclusions and Relevance: The S-shaped cardboard scratcher was a preferred scratcher for kittens. Catnip or odor of other cats did not alter this behavior in kittens. S-shaped cardboard may be a preferred scratching device for kittens.

Active ingredient of the commercial herbicide BASTA (B), phosphinothricin, acts as an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase (GS), a key enzyme in ammonium assimilation. The treatment with BASTA leads to an elevation of ammonium levels in plants and further to various physiological alterations, ammonium toxicity and lethality. Results of the present study emphasize the complexity underlying control mechanisms that determine BASTA interaction with essential oil (EO) from Nepeta rtanjensis (NrEO), bioherbicide inducing oxidative stress in target plants. Simultaneous application of NrEO and BASTA, two agents showing differential mode of action, suspends BASTA-induced ammonium toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. This is achieved through maintaining GS activity, which sustains a sub-toxic and/or sub-lethal ammonium concentration in tissues. As revealed by the present study, regulation of GS activity, as influenced by BASTA and NrEO, occurs at transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and/or posttranslational levels. Two genes encoding cytosolic GS, GLN1;1 and GLN1;3, are highlighted as the main isozymes in Arabidopsis shoots contributing to NrEO-induced overcoming of BASTA-generated ammonium toxicity. The effects of NrEO might be ascribed to its major component nepetalactone, but the contribution of minor EO components should not be neglected. Although of fundamental significance, the results of the present study suggest possible low efficiency of BASTA in plantations of medicinal/aromatic plants such as Nepeta species. Furthermore, these results highlight the possibility of using NrEO as a bioherbicide in BASTA-treated crop fields to mitigate the effect of BASTA residues in contaminated soils., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The traditional folk medicine Nepeta angustifolia C. Y. Wu (NA) reportedly possesses various biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antihypoxia, and antifatigue effects. In this study, we evaluated the anti-vascular inflammation effects of N. angustifolia extract in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by high glucose (HG) as well as the underlying mechanisms and verified its activity in diabetic rats., Materials and Methods: HUVECs were exposed to 25 mM glucose to induce endothelial dysfunction. Adhesion molecule expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were assayed. IκB and IκB phosphorylation, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), HO-1 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) were examined by Western blot. Nuclear localisation of Nrf2 was also examined using immunofluorescence. The in vivo study of NA was tested in diabetic rats in which the thoracic aorta and serum were collected to observe aorta histological change, and evaluate endothelial function and vascular inflammation., Results: The results revealed that HG can significantly promote the generation of ROS, the expression of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), and the phosphorylation and degradation of IκB and NF-κB activation in HUVECs. These HG-induced phenomena were suppressed by NA-induced heme oxygenase (HO)- 1 expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner by activating Nrf2. The HO-1 inhibitor tin protoporphyrin also dramatically reversed the NA-induced inhibition of CAM expression and the reduction in ROS production. Furthermore, NA also elicited anti-vascular dysfunction effects in diabetic rats, where endothelial function was improved and vascular inflammation was alleviated., Conclusion: All these findings indicated that NA attenuated high glucose-induced vascular dysfunction in vitro and in vivo., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nitric oxide (NO) is a key mediator that plays an important role in pathogenesis of various chronic diseases like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Additionally, there is a great attitude for finding natural compounds, which could control and inhibit NO production in pathological conditions. Therefore, we were encouraged to investigate the effects of some Lamiaceae species on NO production and cell injury during oxidative stress in PC12 cells. In this study, cell death determined by MTT assay and NO levels were evaluated using Griess assay. PC12 cells were exposed to total metanolic extracts of three Scutellaria and one Nepeta species. The results revealed that Nepeta laxiflora ( N. laxiflora ) could protect PC12 cells from hydrogen proxide-induced oxidative stress and all of the plants inhibited NO production in that condition except Scutellaria tournefortii ( Sc. tournefortii ). In addition, Scutellaria multicaulis ( Sc. multicaulis ) was meanwhile subjected to fractionation using different organic solvents. The dichloromethan and ethyl acetate fractions of Sc. multicaulis could protect PC12 cells from oxidative stress injury. However, NO production was restrained by the hexane and dichloromethane fractions. Considering the results, N. laxiflora , Scutellaria nepetifolia ( Sc. nepetifolia ) , and Sc. multicaulis are good candidates for further investigations in neuroprotection and anti-inflammation studies.

Medicinal plants have always had great value for the human population due to their valuable constituents and potential bioactivities. The objective of this review is to present an updated overview of an important medicinal plant genus Nepeta L., from the family Lamiaceae, revealing its traditional utilization, biological activity, phytoconstituents, and mechanisms of action. For this purpose, a literature survey was carried out by using SciFinder, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science followed by a revision of the bibliographies of the related articles. We have described and analyzed the role of plants in drug discovery and the importance of Nepeta species. Information on the utilization purposes of Nepeta species in folk medicine has been emphasized, and scientific studies on the biological effects and secondary metabolites are addressed. Nepeta species are characterized by terpenoid-type compounds and phenolic constituents, which exert several activities such as an antimicrobial, repellent against major pathogen vector mosquitoes, insecticide, larvicide against Anopheles stephensi, cytotoxic anticarcinogen, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent, and antidepressant, revealing its importance in medicinal and agricultural fields. On the basis of numerous studies, the Nepeta genus demonstrates remarkable therapeutic effects against various diseases. However, clinical studies are warranted to confirm preclinical findings., (Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil of the aerial flowering parts of Nepeta hormozganica Jamzad have been studied. Analysis of the oil was conducted by GC-FID and GC-MS. Thirty-two components were characterized accounting for 99.4% of the total oil. Oxygenated monoterpenes (87.5%) were found to be the predominant group of compounds, of which 18-cineole (65.0%) and 4aα-7α-7aβ-nepetalactone (13.0%) were the main constituents. The antibacterial activity of the essential oil and its main constituents showed that all of the tested microorganisms were highly inhibited by the essential oil with inhibition zones ranged from 12 to 24 mm. The most sensitive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis with the lowest MIC values of 0.3 and 0.6 mg/mL, respectively. Considering sensitivity screening it is conceivable that the activity of the oil from N. hormozganica could be attributed mainly to the synergistic property of 18-cineole and nepetalactone.

Context: Nepeta ruderalis Buch.-Ham. (Lamiaceae), locally known as Badranj Boya, is an aromatic herb used traditionally as an antispasmodic, antidiarrhoeal, and anti-asthamatic remedy., Objective: Aqueous methanolic extract of N. ruderalis was studied to investigate its traditional uses., Materials and Methods: Study was conducted from September 2015 to February 2016. In vitro spasmolytic and broncho-relaxant activity of crude extract of N. ruderalis (whole plant) was evaluated at 0.01-10 mg/mL final bath concentration in isolated rabbit jejunum and tracheal tissues, using PowerLab data acquisition system (Transonic Systems Inc., Ithaca, NY). In vivo antidiarrhoeal activity was evaluated in castor oil-induced diarrhoeal mice at the dose of 300 and 500 mg of crude extract orally., Results: Crude extract of N. ruderalis completely relaxed spontaneously contracting, high K + (80 mM) and carbachol (1 μM) induced contracted jejunum with an EC 50 value of 5.85 (5.45-6.27), 4.0 (3.80-4.23) and 2.86 (2.48-3.29), similar to verapamil. Nr.Cr relaxed high K + and carbachol induced contractions, at 5 and 10 mg/mL with an EC 50 value of 2.37 (2.11-2.67) and 3.26 (2.9-3.67), respectively, and also displaced calcium concentration-response curves toward right at 0.1 and 0.3 mg/mL. Nr.Cr exhibited antidiarrhoeal protection at a dose of 300 and 500 mg/kg, similar to verapamil, whereas no acute toxicity signs were seen up to 5 g/kg in healthy mice., Discussion and Conclusion: Results suggest the presence of spasmolytic and broncho-relaxant effects in the crude extract of N. ruderalis, possibly mediated through calcium channel-blocking activity, providing the pharmacological basis for its traditional uses in gastrointestinal and airway disorders.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a popular plant among cat owners because in about 60% of felids elicits active behaviors such as rolling over, grooming, motor activity and vocalizations. Herein, we assessed the display of active but also passive responses, such as time in sphinx-like position, and consequently hypothesized that 100% of cats respond to catnip. Accordingly, sixty domestic cats of different age (infant, juvenile, adults), sex (males, females) and gonadal status (early gonadectomized, gonadally intact) were placed in a cylindrical chamber (1.20×1.40m) during 5min and then exposed to 500mg of dehydrated catnip for another 5min. Behaviors were videorecorded and scored. Results indicated that about 20% of the cats (adults and juvenile only) displayed active behaviors (i.e. rolling over), whereas 80% displayed passive responses at any age (sphinx-like position, decreased frequency in vocalizations, and decreased motor activity). These results suggest that all cats respond to catnip but they express it actively, passively or with a combination of both types of responses, which mainly depends on age and sex, and early gonadectomy to a much less extent. We discuss the possible implications of brain maturation on this dichotomy and speculate on the role of opioidergic system on the catnip responses., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Nepeta essential oil (Neo; catnip) and its major component, nepetalactone, have long been known to repel insects including mosquitoes. However, the neural mechanisms through which these repellents are detected by mosquitoes, including the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.), an important vector of Zika virus, were poorly understood. Here we show that Neo volatiles activate olfactory receptor neurons within the basiconic sensilla on the maxillary palps of female Ae. aegypti. A gustatory receptor neuron sensitive to the feeding deterrent quinine and housed within sensilla on the labella of females was activated by both Neo and nepetalactone. Activity of a second gustatory receptor neuron sensitive to the feeding stimulant sucrose was suppressed by both repellents. Our results provide neural pathways for the reported spatial repellency and feeding deterrence of these repellents. A better understanding of the neural input through which female mosquitoes make decisions to feed will facilitate design of new repellents and management strategies involving their use., (Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Repeated administration of morphine for chronic pain leads to dependence and tolerance that limits clinical usage. Nepeta menthoides is commonly known as Iranian Ustukhuddoos and are administered in traditional medicine for gastrodynia, bone pain, blood depurative and restlessness., Aims of Study: To investigate the effects of Nepeta menthoides on expression and acquisition of morphine dependence and tolerance in mice with regard to oxidative stress., Materials and Methods: Morphine dependence in mice was developed by administration of gradually increasing doses of morphine twice daily for 7 consecutive days. In experimental groups, administration of Nepeta menthoides (200 and 400mg/kg), methadone and their combination were performed 60min prior to each morphine injection (for acquisition) or the last injection of morphine on test day (for expression). Morphine tolerance was measured by the tail-immersion test before and after the administration of a single dose of morphine (100mg/kg; i.p.) on the test day (8th day). Morphine dependence was also evaluated by counting the number of jumps after the injection of naloxone (5mg/kg; i.p.)., Results: Nepeta menthoides, similar to methadone, significantly prevented the development (but not the expression) of morphine dependence, tolerance, and potentiated morphine antinociception and also reduced (23.23±1.15) Nitric oxide (NO) overproduction (35.23±3.36) (in compared with naloxone group (6.3±0.52)). However, single and repeated application of the extract could not change high single-dose morphine analgesia., Conclusion: It appears that Nepeta menthoides and methadone prevented morphine dependence and tolerance, partly through inhibition of the NO overproduction., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Nepeta dschuparensis Bornm (NP) is used as a medicinal herb in Iran. In traditional medicine, this herb is extensively employed for curing ailments such as cardiovascular diseases. NP has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This project examined the effects of the NP extract on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) protein levels and its efficacy in neuroprotection in a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion model., Methods: Twenty-six male rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: 1) sham (n=6): no middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) procedure, 2) control (n=10): MCAO procedure and treatment with normal saline, and 3) NP extract (n=10): MCAO procedure and treatment with the NP extract (20 mg/kg, i.p.) at the beginning of reperfusion. To examine the injury caused by cerebral ischemia, we measured motor coordination and the infarct area using the rotarod test and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, respectively. IL-1β and COX-2 protein levels, as inflammatory markers, were measured by immunoblotting assay. The statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 16, and the data are expressed as means±SEMs. Statistical difference was evaluated using the one-way ANOVA, followed by the post hoc LSD test (P<0.01)., Results: Treatment with the NP extract significantly diminished the infarct volume and alleviated the motor coordination disorder induced by cerebral ischemia. The NP extract administration significantly attenuated the increase in IL-1β and COX-2 protein levels too (P<0.01)., Conclusion: The beneficial effects of the NP extract are related to its ability to decrease the levels of IL-1β and COX-2.

Background: Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in the world. The conventional medications for depression, however, often have significant side effects. These adverse effects of conventional therapies, have motivated researchers to study alternative options including complementary and traditional treatments for solving the problem., Objective: To compare the efficacy of Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse freeze-dried aqueous extract with sertraline in the treatment of major depression., Design and Setting: From April to September of 2015, 72 patients from two psychiatry clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences who met the criteria for major depression based on the structured clinical interview as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, participated in a two-armed double-blind randomized controlled trial., Intervention: Subjects were randomly assigned to receive Nepeta menthoides or sertraline for four weeks., Outcome Measures: Patients were evaluated in terms of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) total score and common side effects of medications at the base line, the second and fourth weeks, and two weeks following the intervention (i.e. in the sixth week)., Results: The mean changes in the Beck Depression Inventory scores in Nepeta menthoides group were significantly higher in terms of the BDI-II scores diminution as compared to that of the control (p≤0.001). Two weeks follow up after intervention showed a lower recurrence rate in the Nepeta menthoides group (p≤0.001)., Conclusion: Nepeta menthoides may have potential benefits in the control of mood in patients suffering from major depression. Sustention of antidepressant effect and delay in the recurrence of depression could be considered worthwhile using this herb., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Nepeta species contain a variety of secondary metabolites, including iridoid monoterpenes - nepetalactones and phenolic acids - that are considered the main bioactive constituents. This work represents the first attempt to comparatively explore variations in these two major groups of secondary metabolites within the genus., Objective: To develop an efficient analytical methodology for simultaneous analysis of nepetalactones and phenolic acids in methanol extracts of selected Nepeta species, and to evaluate its potential application in chemotaxonomic studies., Material and Methods: A UHPLC combined with linear-trap quadrupole (LTQ) orbitrap MS method was used to characterise chemical diversity and complexity of phenolics among 12 selected Nepeta species. A targeted metabolomic approach using UHPLC coupled to a diode array detector (DAD) and combined with (+/-) heated electrospray ionisation (HESI) MS/MS was developed and validated for quantitative analysis of six hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives and four nepetalactones., Results: Phenolic profiling provided a valuable database of bioactive compounds in the plant group studied, including phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids) and flavonoids (flavones, flavonols and flavanones). Principal component analysis and cluster analysis suggested the applicability of 10 targeted compounds as chemomarkers for chemotaxonomic studies. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations between metabolites involved in different biosynthetic pathways (phenylpropanoid or monoterpenoid)., Conclusion: The described targeted metabolomic approach proved to be highly beneficial in designing a phytochemical overview of the genus Nepeta, and might have applications in further clarification of phylogenetic relations. Furthermore, it has the potential to be implemented in a routine quality control of plant material and herbal preparations., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Coleophoranepetellae Baldizzone & Nel, sp. n. is described from the southern Alps (Italy and France). It belongs to the Coleophoralixella species group. Its host plants are Nepetanepetella L. (Lamiaceae) and an unidentified Poaceae. The fifth instar larva, its case, the adult habitus, and genitalia are illustrated. The species is compared to Coleophoranevadella Baldizzone, 1985, here newly confirmed from France and whose larvae feed on Nepetalatifolia DC. in the Eastern Pyrénées. DNA barcodes are shown to be distinct and congruent with morphological differences among species of the lixella group. Barcodes revealed that Coleophoratricolor Walsingham, 1889, formerly known only from Great Britain, is also present in France and Greece.

Natural products have been in focus as alternative, effective and safe materials against the phytopathogens. Investigations show Nepeta oils as effective in controlling the food crops decay. The inhibitory effects of essential oils derived from Nepeta leucophylla, Nepeta ciliaris, Nepeta clarkei and Calamintha umbrosa against five phytopthogenic fungi have been determined. In vitro antifungal activity varied with their constituents and target species. More active being the oils containing oxygenated terpenoids. Helminthosporium maydis was sensitive to the all oils, IC50 values have 43.6-109.3 μg mL(-1). The N. leucophylla oil possessing oxygenated iridoids was more effective against H. maydis (IC50 value of 43.6 μg mL(-1)) while N. ciliaris was more active against Fusarium oxysporum (IC50 value of 219.2 μg mL(-1)). The oils were effective against the spore germination of all the tested plant pathogens., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To develop novel and crude anti-obesity drugs from natural products is a promising field to approach the solution to a global health problem such as obesity. The aim of this study was to screen crude anti-obesity drugs from 400 natural products on lipase inhibition activity in vitro., Results: Among the natural products examined, 31 extracts showed significantly inhibition activity against porcine pancreatic lipase (triacylglycerol lipase, EC 3.1.1.3) by using spectrophotometry with 2,4-dinitrophenylbutyrate as a substrate. Furthermore, 31 natural products were investigated with regard to their lipid inhibition in 3T3-L1 cells. Among these, one of most promising was Nepeta japonica Maximowicz extract, which showed inhibition of triglyceride accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, suggesting anti-obesity activity. Also, the amount of glycerol released from cells into the medium was increased by treatment of Nepeta japonica Maximowicz extract at a concentration of 100 µg mL(-1) ., Conclusion: The present study suggests that a promising crude anti-obesity drug screened from 400 natural products might be of therapeutic interest with respect to the treatment of obesity., (Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: In a search for new plant-derived biologically active compounds against protozoan parasites, an ethnopharmacological study was carried out to evaluate extracts from selected 17 traditional medicinal plants which were used by healers from the Garhwal region of North West Himalaya for the treatment of protozoal infections and fever including malaria., Materials and Methods: In vitro activity against erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum was determined using a modified [3H]-hypoxanthine incorporation assay with the chloroquine- and pyrimethamine-resistant K1 strain. Activity against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense was performed on the STIB 900 strain and activity against Trypanosoma cruzi on infected rat skeletal myoblasts (L6 cells) seeded in 96-well microtitre plates while amastigotes of Leishmania donovani strain MHOM/ET/67/L82 were used to assess activity against Leishmania donovani. Cytotoxicity assays were performed against rat skeletal myoblasts (L6-cells)., Results and Conclusions: Extracts of Artemisia roxburghiana, Roylea cinerea, Leucas cephalotes, Nepeta hindostana and Viola canescens showed good antiplasmodial activity (IC50<5 μg/ml). The chloroform extract of Artemisia roxburghiana was the most active (IC50 value of 0.42 μg/ml) and the most selective (SI=78) extract for Plasmodium falciparum among all plants extracts examined. The chloroform extract of Leucas cephalotes and the petroleum ether extract of Viola canescens exhibited substantial activities against Leishmania donovani with IC50 values of 3.61 μg/ml (SI=8) and 0.40 μg/ml (SI=30), respectively. The petroleum ether extract of Viola canescens exhibited activity against Trypanosoma cruzi with an IC50 value of 1.86 μg/ml (SI=7). Methanol and water extracts from all plants under investigation were found inactive against all parasites tested. These results support investigation of components of traditional medicines as potential new antiprotozoal agents. On the other hand since herbalism has become the main stream throughout the world, investigation demonstrates that these non-polar plant extracts of six of the plants examined in this study could play an important role in herbal formulations for the treatment of vector borne protozoal diseases., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nonhuman animals in captivity can experience environmental privation that results in their exhibiting abnormal behaviors. Environmental enrichment techniques can help improve their welfare. This study investigated the behavior of 8 zoo-housed oncilla cats (Leopardus tigrinus) in response to 2 odors (catnip and cinnamon) introduced individually into the animals' enclosures for 3 consecutive days. Proportion of scans spent engaging in stereotypical pacing were compared before, during, and after treatments. The addition of cinnamon reduced the proportion of pacing during and after enrichment (Wilcoxon: Z = 3.16, p < .001; Z = 3.16, p < .001, respectively), indicating a prolonged effect of the enrichment on the animals' behavior. Catnip appears to have elicited no significant difference in the stereotypic pacing before, during, or after the enrichment (Friedman: X(2) = 2.69; p = .260). The results highlight the potential use of cinnamon as a method of environmental enrichment for small captive-housed cats.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is known for its pseudo-narcotic effects on cats. Recently, it has been reported as an effective mosquito repellent against several Aedes and Culex species, both topically and spatially. Our laboratory bioassays showed that catnip essential oil (at a dosage of 20 mg) resulted in average repellency rates of 96% against stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) and 79% against houseflies, Musca domestica (L.), respectively. This finding suggested that the application of repellent could be used as part of filth fly management. Further evaluations of catnip oil toxicity were conducted to provide a broad-spectrum safety profile of catnip oil use as a potential biting and nuisance insect repellent in urban settings. Acute oral, dermal, inhalation, primary dermal and eye irritation toxicity tests were performed. The acute oral LD(50) of catnip oil was found to be 3160 mg/kg body weight (BW) and 2710 mg/kg BW in female and male rats, respectively. The acute dermal LD50 was > 5000 mg/kg BW. The acute inhalation LD50 was observed to be > 10,000 mg/m3. Primary skin irritation tested on New Zealand white rabbits showed that catnip oil is a moderate irritant. Catnip oil was classified as practically non-irritating to the eye. In comparison with other U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved mosquito repellents (DEET, picaridin and p-menthane-3,8-diol), catnip oil can be considered as a relatively safe repellent, which may cause minor skin irritation.

Aim of the Study: The study was aimed to investigate the chemical composition and pharmacological basis for traditional use of essential oil of Nepeta cataria L. (Limiaceae) (Nc.Oil) in gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders., Materials and Methods: Chemical analysis was carried out through GC-EIMS, 13C NMR and Kovats Retention Indices while pharmacological study was carried out in isolated tissues preparations., Results: Four major components; 1,8-cineol (21.00%), alpha-humulene (14.44%), alpha-pinene (10.43%) and geranyl acetate (8.21%) were identified among the 27 compounds in Nc.Oil. In isolated rabbit jejunum, Nc.Oil, papaverine and verapamil inhibited spontaneous and high K+(80 mM) precontractions, as well as shifted the Ca++ concentration-response curves (CRCs) to right, indicating calcium channel blocking activity. In isolated guinea-pig trachea, Nc.Oil and papaverine inhibited carbachol (1 microM) and K+ precontractions with similar potency, while verapamil was more potent against K+. Nc.Oil also potentiated isoprenaline inhibitory CRCs, similar to papaverine, indicating papaverine-like PDE inhibitor activity. In isolated guinea-pig atria, Nc.Oil caused cardiodepression at around 25-80 times higher concentrations, similar to papaverine., Conclusions: These data indicate that Nepeta cataria possesses spasmolytic and myorelaxant activities mediated possibly through dual inhibition of calcium channels and PDE, which may explain its traditional use in colic, diarrhea, cough and asthma.