St John's Wort - Hypericum perforatum:

Appearance:

The oil or alcohol extract of St. John's Wort is reddish purple in color. It is not water soluble, but it is light-sensitive.

Growing Info:

Culinary Uses:

Medicinal Uses in Folklore:

Scanning the Scientific Literature:

Hypericin is a naturally occurring photosensitizer that exhibits potent antiviral activity in the presence of light. While maintaining a good level of light is a potential problem in the body, there is at least one clinical study underway investigating the effect of hypericin on HIV in people with the AIDS virus. Hypericin may also have beneficial effects against other viral agents, such as FLV, cytomegalovirus (HCMV), parainfluenza virus, and certain types of herpes simplex viruses. There is speculation that by using chemoluminescence in the bloodstream, hypericin could be triggered to act photodynamically against viruses. Such chemoluminescence could be triggered by the luciferin-luciferase reaction (which is how fireflies get their flash). Perhaps exposure to proper wavelengths of light may also help. Hypericin may also have a lipophilic ("fat-loving") mode of action, potentially binding the lipid in viral membranes.

Hypericum extract is more than just hypericin/pseudohypericin, and has been used clinically to treat depression. In Germany, it is marketed as an anti-depressant. In one study it yielded results far superior to that of a placebo. There was no negative effect on cognitive function, nor on concentration or attention abilities of the subjects. The antidepressive effect of hypericum extract might be explained in part in terms of a mild monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition, although the constituent hypericin itself does not act in this fashion. It is still uncertain which component(s) of the plant produces the anti-depressive effect, so the mode of action is still uncertain. The anti-depressive effect initiates over a period of one to two months.

Hypericum extracts also apparently have some antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-staphylococcal activities.

Another ingredient of the oil extract, hyperforin, may have some efficacy in wound healing.

Excessive consumption of these extracts can cause rashes if the individual is exposed to strong light. Varro Tyler rates it a plus on probable safety.

Other Info:

References:

• Cass, H., St. John's Wort: Nature's Blues Buster.
• Klimas, J. E., A Pocket Guide to the Common Wild Flowers of Connecticut.
• Tyler, V.E., The Honest Herbal.
• Tyler, V.E., Herbs of Choice.
• Lavie G. Mazur Y. Lavie D. Meruelo D.
  The chemical and biological properties of hypericin--a compound with a broad spectrum of biological activities [published erratum appears in Med Res Rev 1995 May;15(3):259]. [Review] Medicinal Research Reviews. 15(2):111-9, 1995 Mar.
• Staffeldt B. Kerb R. Brockmoller J. Ploch M. Roots I.
  Pharmacokinetics of hypericin and pseudohypericin after oral intake of the hypericum perforatum extract LI 160 in healthy volunteers. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. 7 Suppl 1:S47-53, 1994 Oct.
• Utsumi T. Okuma M. Utsumi T. Kanno T. Yasuda T. Kobuchi H. Horton AA. Utsumi K.
  Light-dependent inhibition of protein kinase C and superoxide generation of neutrophils by hypericin, an antiretroviral agent. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. 316(1):493-7, 1995 Jan 10.
• Lavie G. Mazur Y. Lavie D. Prince AM. Pascual D. Liebes L. Levin B. Meruelo D.
  Hypericin as an inactivator of infectious viruses in blood components [see comments]. Transfusion. 35(5):392-400, 1995 May.
• Barnard DL. Huffman JH. Morris JL. Wood SG. Hughes BG. Sidwell RW.
  Evaluation of the antiviral activity of anthraquinones, anthrones and anthraquinone derivatives against human cytomegalovirus. Antiviral Research. 17(1):63-77, 1992 Jan.
• Andersen DO. Weber ND. Wood SG. Hughes BG. Murray BK. North JA.
  In vitro virucidal activity of selected anthraquinones and anthraquinone derivatives. Antiviral Research. 16(2):185-96, 1991 Sep.
• Carpenter S. Fehr MJ. Kraus GA. Petrich JW.
  Chemiluminescent activation of the antiviral activity of hypericin: a molecular flashlight. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 91(25):12273-7, 1994 Dec 6.
• Schmidt U. Sommer H.
  [St. John's wort extract in the ambulatory therapy of depression. Attention and reaction ability are preserved]. [German] Fortschritte der Medizin. 111(19):339-42, 1993 Jul 10.
• Bladt S. Wagner H.
  Inhibition of MAO by fractions and constituents of hypericum extract. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. 7 Suppl 1:S57-9, 1994 Oct.
• Vukovic-Gacic B. Simic D.
  Identification of natural antimutagens with modulating effects on DNA repair.
• Shipochliev T. Dimitrov A. Aleksandrova E.
  [Anti-inflammatory action of a group of plant extracts]. [Bulgarian]
• Molochko VA. Lastochkina TM. Krylov IA. Brangulis KA.
  [The antistaphylococcal properties of plant extracts in relation to their prospective use as therapeutic and prophylactic formulations for the skin]. [Russian]
• Maisenbacher P. Kovar KA.
  Analysis and stability of Hyperici oleum. Planta Medica. 58(4):351-4, 1992 Aug.

Last Updated: April 16, 1998.