Common Name:

General Information

Nepeta nuda is a herbaceous perennial plant with several erect stems growing around 20 - 120cm tall[, , ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. Research has shown that the plant has a good potential for use in medicine, as well as in the food industry, for perfumery etc[]. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens, where there are some named varieties.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - Poland, France, Spain and Portugal, east to western Siberia, western China (Xinjiang) and Iran

Habitat

Xeric shrubs, forbs; at elevations from 1,300 - 2,400 metres[]. Grasslands below the forest zone, mountain basins, along valley streams; at elevations from 1,600 - 1,900 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.80 m
Pollinators	Bees, Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Nepeta species generally grow best in a sunny position and a well-drained soil. Many are found in poor soils in the wild, and have a bushier growth habit in more fertile soils[].
Nepeta nuda is treated here as comprising four subspecies. These dfferent subspecies each possess unique biological activities due to their individual chemical composition and they can therefore be used in different ways. For instance, those subspecies rich in 1,8- cineole could be used in traditional medicine for inhalation, while subspecies rich in sesquiterpene alcohol nerolidol could be used either in cosmetics and household products or as food flavouring agents[].

Edible Uses

The plant is used for food[]. No more information.

A herbal tea made from the aerial parts of the plant has a slightly pungent aroma suggestive of a mix between citrus and peppermint. It is also used medicinally[]

The essential oil obtained from subspecies glandulifera contains considerable amounts of chlorgenic (63.52 mg/g extract) and ferulic acids (14.65 mg/g extract), and exhibits high antioxidant activity. It scavenged and neutralized various reactive oxidant species and inhibited different enzymes connected with human diseases of modern life. The results suggest that this species could be successfully used in the food and pharmacological industries[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the plant is used for treating hysteria, melancholy, uterine cramps, as well as gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhoes, and respiratory disorders such as coughs, asthma and bronchitis[].
A decoction of the plant is used internally to treat cystitis and prostate gland infections and is applied externally to treat wounds[].

The essential oil can be used in aromatherapy to treat nervous system disorders, where it acts mainly as a sedative, but also as an anti-anxiety, hypnotic and antispasmodic[]

The plant has been shown to possess antimicrobial and antiviral activity, as well as antioxidant, anticancer, and allelopathic properties[]
The essential oil of subspecies albiflora has shown a strong antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella typhi[].
The essential oil of subspecies lydiae has the ability to inhibit the cell growth of human colon cancer cell lines namely Caco 2 at moderately low concentration with LC50 value of 129.6mg/ml. Therefore, it may have contain promising phytochemicals that could be used in cancer treatment[].
A tincture made from the herb has shown good antimicrobial potential, including the inhibition of biofilms. The most dominant phenolic compounds present in the tincture were rosmarinic acid and verminoside. This study suggests that the tincture can be used as a mouthwash since it is safe for human use[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The flowers are a good source of nectar for bees[].

Other Uses

The essential oil has shown significant antibacterial activity against a range of pathogenic bacterial strains isolated from several fruits and vegetables..Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were sensitive to the oil tested. The fact that minimal inhibitory concentration of the essential oil was more potent than 10 % dimethyl sulfoxide used as standard antibiotic was quite interesting. According to the results of this study, the essential oil could be used as an antimicrobial agent for the treatment of plant diseases[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in the autumn, in situ if possible. Germination of spring sown seed can be erratic[]. The seed is best sown in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division of clumps in the autumn or spring, when the plant is dormant or just coming into growth[].
Stem tip or softwood cuttings can be taken in the spring or early summer[].