Hypericin virucidal effect

Studies on the mechanism of action, suggested that hypericin antiviral effect is directed towards enveloped viruses, while non enveloped viruses, such as adenovirus and poliovirus, are unaffected [4], Hypericin virucidal effect is increased by light, however its antiviral properties against selected viruses [7] have also been documented in the dark. 

Evidence of antiviral effects has especially been shown for St. John s Wort [2,3,10], Plant preparations with different chemical composition have been assayed against various viruses and both, hypericin and pseudohypericin, were found to be particularly effective as virucidal agents. The two compounds have been shown to be active against a broad range of viruses and retroviruses, such as herpes simplex virus types I and II, vesicular stomatitis and influenza viruses, cytomegalovyrus and human immunodeficiency virus-1 [2,3,10,91,92]. 

A comprehensive discussion on the antiviral activity of hypericin 1 is included in three recent reviews on the chemical and biological properties of this compound [134, 145, 146]. The effective virucidal activity of hypericin 1 has now triggered its evaluation in human clinical trials for the treatment of HIV and chronic hepatitis C infection [147]. 

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