Patent ID: 6913770

Claim:
A method of decreasing motor activity comprising the steps of: administering a pharmaceutically effective amount of an active extract of the root of the family Valerianaceae obtained by a process comprising the steps of: adding the roots to an alcoholic extraction solvent to form a mixture, wherein the alcoholic extraction solvent comprises between approximately 50% (v/v) to approximately 100% (v/v) ethanol in remainder of water, and heating the mixture to a temperature of between approximately 70° C. to approximately 80° C. for a period of at least two hours; wherein valerenic acid is present in the extract, the content of valepotriates and aldehyde-containing valepotriate decomposition products in the extract are substantially reduced with respect to the content of valepotriates in the root, and the content of valerenic acids in the extract is not substantially reduced with respect to the content of valerenic acids in the roots; and wherein the pH of the mixture is maintained above approximately 3.0.