Category — St Johns Wort

Medical uses

St John’s wort is known as a herbal treatment for mild to moderate depression. Based on clinical trials conducted by Cochrane Collaboration St John’s wort had similar efficiacy to standard antidepressants. St John’s wort is especially popular in Germany, where doctors prescribe it for mild to moderate depression.

Externally it is used for healing wounds, first-degree burns and Myalgia.

St. John’s wort has other potential uses that have not been researched yet. It is believed to alleviate the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, menopause, fatigue, seasonal affective disorder, pediatric nocturnal incontinence and relieve the symptoms of hangover.

How to take it

St. John’s wort can be obtained in many forms:  tablets, capsules, tinctures, teas, and oil-based skin lotions.

Chopped or powdered forms of the dried herb are also available. Chopped forms of St John’s wort are best for making tea. Most products are standardized to contain 0.3% hypericin.

Tea: Pour one cup of boiling water over 2 tsp of dried St. John’s wort and steep for 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups per day for 4 – 6 weeks.

Liquid extract (1:1): 40 – 60 drops, two times per day.

Oil or cream: To treat inflammation, as in wounds, burns or hemorrhoids, an oil-based preparation of St. John’s wort can be applied topically.

It may take 3 – 4 weeks to feel any effects from St. John’s wort.

Side effects and warnings

Do not take St. John’s wort if you have bipolar disorder.

Don’t take St John’s wort if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breastfeeding.

Don’t take St John’s wort in combination with any pharmaceutical antidepressants unless under professional guidance.

Photosensitization (redness of the skin caused by exposure to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation) especially in fair-skinned individuals, may occur with excessive dosages (1,800 mg/day), but this reaction is relatively rare.

Legend

The legend says that when the head of John the Baptist was brought to Salome, the daughter of Herodias, drops of blood from the head fell to the ground. Out of this soil grew St John’s wort.

The other story says that the plant’s name originated from St John’s Day (24-th of June) because it is often in full bloom around that time. At the old days it was believed to have the strongest curative property when harvested at the night of St John’s day.

Famous Greek physician, Hippocrates, documented the therapeutical uses of St John’s wort in the 5th century B.C.

Plant Description

St. John’s wort is a shrubby plant with clusters of yellow flowers that have oval, elongate petals.

It is believed to be native to Europe and Asia, but is now found throughout the world, often growing alongside the road or near freshwater bodies.

Both the flowers and leaves are used for medicinal purposes. St. John’s wort is quite a common herb in alternative medicine, and it is gathered during the flowering season.

Chemistry

The main components of St. John’s wort are hypericin and hyperforin. It also contains many other common plant constituents (e.g., flavonoids and flavonoid derivatives, xanthone derivatives, amentoflavone, biapigenin, volatile oil) that may have antidepressant effects.
Complete chemistry St John’s wort contains 6.5–15% catechin-type tannins and condensedtype proanthocyanidins (catechin, epicatechin, leucocyanidin); 2–5% flavonoids, mostly 0.5–2% hyperoside, 0.3–1.6% rutin, 0.3% quercitrin, 0.3% isoquercitrin, quercetin, and kaempferol; bioflavonoids (about 0.26% biapigenin), phloroglucinol derivatives (up to 4% hyperforin); phenolic acids (caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic); 0.05–1.0% volatile oils, mainly higher n-alkanes, 0.05–0.15% naphthodianthrones (hypericin and pseudohypericin); sterols (sitosterol); vitamins C and A, up to 10 ppm xanthones; and choline (Bruneton, 1999; ESCOP, 1996; Leung and Foster, 1996; Newall et al., 1996; Upton, 1997;).

Bruneton, J. Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants, 2nd ed. Paris, France: Lavoisier Publishing; 1999.
ESCOP. See: European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy.
Newall C, Anderson L, Phillipson J. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-Care Professionals. London: The Pharmaceutical Press; 1996.
Upton R (ed.). St. John’s Wort: Hypericum perforatum. HerbalGram 1997