Saint-John’s-wort

Figure 23 Comparison of antiradical properties of different tea types. 1, Sage tea 2, green tea 3, black tea 4, peppermint tea 5, bladder tea 6, dandelion tea 7, Saint-John s-wort tea 8, tea for cough 9, nettle tea 10, rosehip tea 11, chamomile tea 12, horsetail tea 13, linden flowers tea 14, marigold tea 15, fennel tea 16, cumin tea.

Herbal Antidepressants and Anxiolytics Saint-John s- Wort History and Botany... 

Saint-John s-wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a perennial herb with round stems having two distinct lengthwise ridges (Kowalchik and Hylton 1987 Leyel 1994). It produces bright yellow flowers with five... 

Saint-John s-wort (Hypericum perforatum). Reprinted with permission from Sturdivant and Blakely. (1999). Medicinal Herbs in the Garden, Field, and Marketplace. Friday Flarbor, WA San Juan Naturals. Illustration by Peggy Sue McRae. 

Saint-John s-wort was used in ancient Greece and medieval Europe, where it was believed to ward off evil spirits. Its name derives from wort, the Old English word for herb, and the fact that it was harvested in Europe on the eve of St. John s day (June 24th) and burned to purify the air (Fleiligenstein and Guenther 1998). Traditional uses include treatment of depression, insomnia, enuresis, and anxiety. Modern use has focused on its antidepressant effects and possible antiviral effects for treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (FIIV) (Fleiligenstein et al. 1998) (table 7.3). There has been some interest in its antiglioma effects as well (Couldwell et al. 1993). 

Saint-John s- wort AntidepressantHypericin Monoamine reuptake inhibition ... 

Not all species of Saint-John s-wort have antidepressant effects, to have antidepressant-like effects in animal models equal to H, ssp. elongatum) do not (Ozturk 1997). 

Chemical structure of Saint-John s-wort constituents. 

Pharmacokinetic interactions Preliminary evidence suggests that Saint-John s-wort induces the cytochrome oxidase enzyme isoform CYP3A4 (Ernst 1999). This raises the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions with drugs metabolized by the same enzyme. A few cases have been reported of reduced warfarin levels (Yue et al. 2000). Similar interactions have also been reported for concurrent use with digoxin, theophylline, and cyclosporin (Nebel et al. 1999 Ruschitzka et al. 2000 Johne et al. 1999). As with any other medication, potential interactions should be considered when taking a combination of drugs. 

Ruschitzka F, Meier PJ, Turina M, Luscher TF, Noll G. (2000). Acute heart transplant rejection due to Saint John s wort. Lancet. 355(9203) 548-49. 

Ahmed SM, Banner NR, Dubrey S W Low cyclosporin-A level due to Saint-John s-wort in heart transplant patients (letter). J Heart Lung Transplant 20 795, 2001... 

Perloff MD, von Moltke LL, Stormer E, Shader RI, Greenblatt DJ. Saint John s wort an in vitro analysis of P-glycoprotein induction due to extended exposure. Br J Pharmacol 2001 134(8) 1601-1608. 

Saint John s wort is a potent inducer of metabolism and is contraindicated with Pis and NNRTIs. 

Ruschitzka, F. Meier, P.J. Purina, M. Luscher, T.F. Noll, G. Acute heart transplant rejection due to Saint John s Wort. Lancet 2000, 555, 548-549. 

Mai I, Kruger H, Budde K, Johne A, BrockmoUer J, Neumayer HH, Roots I. Hazardous pharmacokinetic interaction of Saint John s wort (Hypericum perforatum) tvith the immunosuppressant cyclosporin. Int J Chn Pharmacol Ther 2000 38(10) 500-2. 

Saint John s wort is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and to a lesser degree appears to inhibit monoamine oxidase. The toxin is hypericin, an anthraquinone dimer, which is present throughout the plant. It also contains tannin, rutin, and flavinoids. 

Der Marderosian A(ed.) (2001) Saint John s Wort Monograph. The Lawrence Review of Natural Products. St. Louis, MO Facts and Comparisons. 

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