Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders
<i>Hypericum perforatum</i>, also known as St. John’s Wort, pericon, or yellow grass, is known for its antidepressant potential. It could represent a natural alternative to current pharmacological antidepressant treatments, which have a high incidence of side effects in patients and ther...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| author | María Carolina Otero Francisco Ceric Sebastián Miranda-Rojas Carolina Carreño Rachelly Escares María José Escobar Chiara Saracini Cristian Atala Ricardo Ramírez-Barrantes Felipe Gordillo-Fuenzalida |
| author_facet | María Carolina Otero Francisco Ceric Sebastián Miranda-Rojas Carolina Carreño Rachelly Escares María José Escobar Chiara Saracini Cristian Atala Ricardo Ramírez-Barrantes Felipe Gordillo-Fuenzalida |
| author_sort | María Carolina Otero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Hypericum perforatum</i>, also known as St. John’s Wort, pericon, or yellow grass, is known for its antidepressant potential. It could represent a natural alternative to current pharmacological antidepressant treatments, which have a high incidence of side effects in patients and therefore lead to early dropouts. Through a bibliographic revision of clinical trials and information collected from scientific articles during the first period of 2020, we aimed to evaluate whether its administration could be beneficial in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression, with fewer side effects compared to synthetic drugs. Among the main components, hypericin and hyperforin have been related to the observed antidepressant activity; therefore, their possible mechanism of action was reviewed and highlighted. Furthermore, patients receiving <i>Hypericum</i> extracts were less likely to withdraw from studies because of adverse effects compared to those receiving older standard antidepressants. This review aims to provide suggestions for an alternative treatment of mild-to-moderate depression disorder under the supervision of a medical doctor, since, although it appears to be a potentially efficient treatment with a low presence of adverse effects in comparison to synthetic antidepressants, it might also interact with other medications and lead to therapeutic failures if misused for self-medication. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a4a6b63d20af43429f8febe14a396e37 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1424-8247 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceuticals |
| spelling | doaj-art-a4a6b63d20af43429f8febe14a396e372025-08-20T02:56:57ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472024-12-011712162510.3390/ph17121625Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive DisordersMaría Carolina Otero0Francisco Ceric1Sebastián Miranda-Rojas2Carolina Carreño3Rachelly Escares4María José Escobar5Chiara Saracini6Cristian Atala7Ricardo Ramírez-Barrantes8Felipe Gordillo-Fuenzalida9School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, ChileLaboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, ChileDepartment of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, ChileSchool of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, ChileSchool of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, ChileSchool of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, ChileThe Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca 3460000, ChileInstituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 8331150, ChileSchool of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Viña del Mar 8370035, ChileLaboratory of Applied Microbiology, Center for Biotechnology of Natural Resources, Faculty of Agrarian and Forestry Sciences, Catholic University of Maule, Avda. San Miguel 3605, Talca 3460000, Chile<i>Hypericum perforatum</i>, also known as St. John’s Wort, pericon, or yellow grass, is known for its antidepressant potential. It could represent a natural alternative to current pharmacological antidepressant treatments, which have a high incidence of side effects in patients and therefore lead to early dropouts. Through a bibliographic revision of clinical trials and information collected from scientific articles during the first period of 2020, we aimed to evaluate whether its administration could be beneficial in the treatment of mild-to-moderate depression, with fewer side effects compared to synthetic drugs. Among the main components, hypericin and hyperforin have been related to the observed antidepressant activity; therefore, their possible mechanism of action was reviewed and highlighted. Furthermore, patients receiving <i>Hypericum</i> extracts were less likely to withdraw from studies because of adverse effects compared to those receiving older standard antidepressants. This review aims to provide suggestions for an alternative treatment of mild-to-moderate depression disorder under the supervision of a medical doctor, since, although it appears to be a potentially efficient treatment with a low presence of adverse effects in comparison to synthetic antidepressants, it might also interact with other medications and lead to therapeutic failures if misused for self-medication.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/17/12/1625medicinal plantsnaphthodianthronesphloroglucinolsantidepressants |
| spellingShingle | María Carolina Otero Francisco Ceric Sebastián Miranda-Rojas Carolina Carreño Rachelly Escares María José Escobar Chiara Saracini Cristian Atala Ricardo Ramírez-Barrantes Felipe Gordillo-Fuenzalida Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders Pharmaceuticals medicinal plants naphthodianthrones phloroglucinols antidepressants |
| title | Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders |
| title_full | Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders |
| title_fullStr | Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders |
| title_short | Documentary Analysis of <i>Hypericum perforatum</i> (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders |
| title_sort | documentary analysis of i hypericum perforatum i st john s wort and its effect on depressive disorders |
| topic | medicinal plants naphthodianthrones phloroglucinols antidepressants |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/17/12/1625 |
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