Dear Tanay Perhaps this may satisfy you (biochemical reason): "The attraction of feline mammals to the odor of catnip (also called catmint) is not limited to domestic house cats. In fact, is is apparently attractive to all members of the cat family (Felidae), including lions and tigers. The chemical in catnip responsible for the unusual and comical behavior of cats is nepetalactone, a methylcyclopentane monoterpene. It is found in the leaves, stems and inforescences of catnip plants. Dried leaves, stems and flowers are placed in catnip toys and sold in natural food stores as a medicinal tea. Nepetalactone occurs naturally in cis-trans and trans-cis isomers. These isomers have slightly different 3-dimensional shapes with respect to the position of the methyl group on the cyclopentane component of the molecule. According to the Merck Index (1983), the cis-trans isomer comprises 70-99 percent of the nepetalactone in catnip plants."
For more of this please go the original source: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph37.htm <http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph37.htm>Perhaps now you won't ask that question again On Sun, Aug 15, 2010 at 9:19 AM, tanay bose <[email protected]> wrote: > I could never understand the secret behind its common name being catnip !! > tanay > > On Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 7:22 AM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]>wrote: > >> Nepeta cataria from Kashmir, commonly found in grazed areas and >> wastelands, photographed from Pampore on June 20, 2010 >> >> Common names: Catnip, Catmint >> French: Cataire, Menthe des chats >> German: Katzenminze >> Spanish: Hierba gatera, Menta de gato >> >> Leaves and shoots used as flavouring; dried leaves used in stews and >> soups; leaves chewed in toothache; oil of catnip obtained from herb. >> >> -- >> Dr. Gurcharan Singh >> Retired Associate Professor >> SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >> Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >> Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 >> http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ >> >> > > > -- > Tanay Bose > Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant > Department of Botany > University of British Columbia > 3529-6270 University Blvd. > Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada) > Phone: 778-323-4036 > > -- Dr. Gurcharan Singh Retired Associate Professor SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/
