Some ppl claim that St John's Wort can be used as a mild herba; tranquilizer, but for me it only seems to have a mild antidepressant effect over time (not from one dose).
5-HTP can have tranquilizing effects in the 100-200mg dosage range, but may make you foggy and fuzzy (like starting an SSRI for the first time).
If you can find it, I've found kava kava to be quite effective as a mild tranquilizer/muscle relaxant. But you need to find a good standardized brand of capsules (don't bother with teas or liquid extracts). I found that the recommended dose (for me at least) is not useful-- more is needed. Something around 150-450mg of kavalactones (not of kava extract, of kavalactones in particular) works rather well, without mind-fog. Note that this is still *far* below the traditional South Seas islander dosages of kava, and that the South Seas folks never had the liver damage issues that were hyped in the press some time ago--and they use it to get inebriated, the way college kids use alcohol.
(The reports about liver damage also did not show a conclusive link, and did not seem to control for the use of other drugs known to be toxic to the liver, such as acetaminophen and alcohol.) The only side effect it's ever given me is, for a little while after taking capsules, kava-infused burps
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Just don't wash down your kava with a Jaegermeister and a few Tylenol, and you should be fine. Don't take massive doses, and don't take it every day, Save it for when you need it. Good luck with the presentation!
