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ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF Hypericum mysorense Heyne
Published in V. R. Mohan, A. Doss, P. S. Tresina, Ethnomedicinal Plants with Therapeutic Properties, 2019
V. Sornalakshmi, P. S. Tresina, K. Paulpriya, V. R. Mohan
The genus Hypericum is a large genus of herbs or shrubs with more than 450 species distributed worldwide. The plants grow widely in temperate regions and are used in folklore medicine in many parts of the world. It has attracted much attention in investigation of metabolites, many of which are biologically active compounds with phloroglucinol moiety (Decosterd et al., 1991). It has been reported that it contains some antiviral prenylated phloroglucinol derivatives (Tada et al., 1991), and variety of compounds such as flavonoids (Chung et al., 1997), xanthones (Wu, 1998a), chromenyl ketones (Wu, 1998b), hyperforins derivatives (Decosterd et al., 1989), n-alkanes (Brondz et al., 1983) napthodianthrones (Kitanov et al., 2001), and essential oil (Cakir et al., 1997). The phytochemistry of Hypericum has attracted the attention of scientists mainly for the two marker compounds, hypericin and hyperforin due to their potent biological activities.
Catalog of Herbs
Published in James A. Duke, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
Formerly used as a source of the antidepressant, hypericin, also known as hypericum red. Hypericum red dyes wool and silk deep violet red. Boiled with alum, however, it is said to produce a yellow dye.180 Very small quantities appear to have a tonic and tranquilizing action on the human organism.20 Success has been reported in treating vitiligo by oral and topical administration application of hypericum extracts.6 Blossom, capsule, leaf, and stalk are said to be antibiotic (patented as a possible food preservative). The Greek name Hypericum means “over an apparition” in the belief that the herb was so obnoxious to evil spirits that only a whiff would cause them to fly away. Aqueous extracts inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Of late the herb tea and the olive-oil floral extract have gained new popularity in Europe for anuria, anxiety, depression, gastritis, and unrest, the oil extract also used externally to promote healing and reduce hemorrhoids and inflammation.17
Natural Products as an Effective Treatment Option for Depression
Published in Vikas Kumar, Addepalli Veeranjaneyulu, Herbs for Diabetes and Neurological Disease Management, 2018
Yogesh Anant Kulkarni, Kalyani Himanshu Barve, Ginpreet Kaur
The antidepressant effect was initially connected to hypericin and later to hyperforin. Hypericin is a polycyclic quinone and is highly photo reactive. Hypericins are natural napthodianthrone compounds produced from H. perforatum, which are having antitumor, antiviral (i.e., against human immunodeficiency and hepatitis C virus), antineoplastic, and antidepressant properties.35
Potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of Hypericum hookerianum extracts in a liposome system evaluated with zebrafish embryos
Published in Journal of Microencapsulation, 2019
P. S. Pradeep, S. Manisha, J. Monica Amala Nayaki, D. Sivaraman, R. Selvaraj, S. Seeni
Medicinal plant extracts, products and other bioactive constituents are becoming increasingly popular, especially due to the lack of side effects common to most modern medicines (Gurib-Fakim 2006). Several species of Hypericum including the most popular St. Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum) (Linde et al.1996) and less popular Hooker’s wort (H. hookerianum) produce pharmacologically important secondary metabolites the occurrence and distribution of which has elicited considerable scientific interest (Mukherjee and Suresh 2000). The genus Hypericum contains around 490 plant species of which H. perforatum is well tested for photosensitising, antimicrobial and antiviral properties, characteristic of the naphthodianthrone derivatives, hypericin and pseudohypericin (Karioti et al.2010, Dementavicius et al.2016) and are assayed for photodynamic therapeutic applications (Zhang et al.2014, Jendželovská et al.2016). Hypericum hookerianum from high altitudes of South Western Ghats in Southern India is exceptionally characterised phytochemically (Varghese and Sooriamuthu 2013, Joseph Varghese et al.2016) and pharmacologically (Mukherjee et al.2001, Dongre et al.2008). Published reports indicate that H. rochelii, H. pruinatum and H. hookerianum (Çirak et al.2006, Stojanovic et al.2013) may contain both hypericin and hyperforin to fight depression while most others contain significant concentrations of antiviral hypericin.
Level of clinical evidence of herbal complementary therapies in psychiatric disorders
Published in Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2019
Derya Ozsavci, Ozlem Bingol Ozakpinar, Mesut Cetin, Feyza Aricioglu
Hypericum perforatum L. (St John’s worth): H. perforatum, commonly known as St John’s wort (SJW), is a herbal remedy that has been used to treat emotional distress since the end of the 15th century. Hypericin (0.3–0.5%), hyperforin (3.0%) and various flavonoids are found in the content of the plant. In recent years, it is the first-line treatment option in the treatment of major depressive disorders in certain European countries. H. perforatum has an affinity for receptors of numerous neurochemical systems. In a comparative 27 clinical trials with 3808 depressive patients, St John’s wort and SSRI were compared and St John’s wort demonstrated comparable responses and remission rate like SSRIs with lower clinical side effects in ameliorating depressive symptoms [15]. Similarly, in another meta-analysis study H. perforatum was found as effective as SSRI in depressive cases and authors suggested that, these effects were limited as the treating time with extract (from 4–12 weeks period) and long-term efficacy and safety of Hypericum extract remain to be examined [16]. In a mechanistic study with 23 participants (13 patients and 10 controls with major depressive disorder), it has been emphasized that St John’s worth has no effect on MAO-A [17]. There are also other studies showing the effectiveness of H. perforatum in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder and anxiety [16,18,19].
Hypericin, a medicinal compound from St. John’s Wort, inhibits genotoxicity induced by mutagenic agents in V79 cells
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2022
Larissa Mendes de Souza, Fernanda Diniz de Sousa, Roberta Cristina Ribeiro Cruz, Denise Crispim Tavares, Pollyanna Francielli de Oliveira
Under the experimental conditions used, this study showed that the non-photoactivated hypericin was cytotoxic and genotoxic at the highest concentration tested and significantly reduced the frequency of DNA damage induced by MMS and DXR acting as DNA damage modulating agent. Although this chemopreventive effect presented by hypericin needs further investigation, this study provides a broad view of the mechanism of action-guiding future studies. Besides that, the hypericin is pointed out as one of the chemical constituents responsible for the antidepressant effect shown by St. John’s Wort and it has been consumed by the population widely studied in the elaboration of new drugs.