Valeriana officinalis is used as a mild sedative but should be avoided during pregnancy due to scarce data available about potential effects on the offspring. This paper evaluates physical development and anxiety in female rats whose mothers were exposed to valerian during gestation. Twenty four pregnant rats were distributed into four groups (n=6) and treated orally from the 12th to 19th day of gestation: Control (1 ml of distilled water), and three valerian-treated groups with 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/Kg/day. Four females from each mother were selected to analyzed: time of eye opening, ear unfolding, appearance of lanugo, hair, superior and inferior incisor eruption, vaginal opening; first date of righting reflex, grasping reflex, cliff avoidance, and negative geotaxis. Anxiety was evaluated by the elevated plus-maze test in offspring at age 90 days. Eruption of the inferior incisors (1000 and 2000mg/kg); appearance of lanugo and hair, and eye opening (500 mg/kg) were significantly altered in the offspring. The neuromotor reflexes and the anxiety did not differ between the groups. The physical development in the adult stage was not altered. These findings suggest that maternal treatment with valerian during gestation did not alter physical, neuromotor and anxiety of the offspring.
