HIPÉRICO/HIERBA OF SAN JUAN (HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L.)

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	HIPÉRICO/HIERBA OF SAN JUAN
	*HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L.*

Name
HIPÉRICO/HIERBA OF SAN JUAN

Scientific Name
HYPERICUM PERFORATUM L.

HIPÉRICO/HIERBA OF SAN JUAN

St. John's Wort, Corazoncillo, Grass of San Juan, Hipérico.

Origin

The vegetal drug is constituted by the flowery sumidad dried of Hypericum perforatum L. collection during the period of flowering or a little before.

Chemical composition

The main components of Hipérico are naftodiantronas, the drug also contains flavonoides, essential oil and other several components.

• Derivatives of Diantronas (0.1 - 0.3 %), mainly hipericina and seudohipericina (in ratio 1:2) and one mixes of its biosintéticos precursors, protohipericina and protoseudohipericina, that are tranformadas in cyclical made up of the light.

• Flavonoides, mainly heterósidos derived from quercetol like hiperósido, quercitrina, rutósido and isoquercitrina as well as geninas derived from the quercetina, kenferol, luteolina and miricetina; biflavonoides that are mainly present in the flowers.

• Tannins.

• essential Oil.

• Fitosteroles (beta-sitosterol).

• Acidos phenolic (acid caféico, clorogénico, ferúlico).

• Component several: derivatives of floroglucinol, cumarinas...

Farmacológicos data

Hypericum perforatum L. constitutes the active medicine principle numerous commercialized in Germany (than 40 medicines elaborated more with St. John´s Wort like only component or in association with other vegetal drugs).

The results obtained in vitro or in experimentation animal, as well as in the man, with the preparations with Hipérico have demonstrated the farmacológicas properties that next they are detailed and that they are confirmed in more than 20 clinical studies, double blind person or opened [ 92-109 ].

• antidepressing Effects with reduction of the aggressive behavior and increase of the physical activity (in animals) and improvement of the main symptoms of the depressive syndrome in the man, like lack of concentration, fatigue....

• promotional Effects of the dream with extension of the phases of deep dream.

• inhibiting Activity of the MAO. The elevated activity but is attributed to several flavonoides, aglicona and quercetina. Xantonas, presents in small amount, also have a high inhibiting power.

• Powerful antiviral effects (only for elevated doses of hipericina).

The tests in vitro made with Hipérico reveal effects similar to the obtained ones with other antidepressing medicines, but it is impossible still to know to what component these antidepressing effects must be attributed: the results of the investigations made with fractions of extract of Hipérico suggest not only them hipericinas are implied in the antidepressing effects of the preparations of Hipérico, but also the derivatives of foroglucinol and a specific type of flavonoides.

The antidepressing action has been demonstrated in several studies made in animals. The standardized extract of Hipérico has revealed an increase of the exploratory activity in mice located in an average stranger, an increase of the time of the narcotic dream dose-employee and a reduction of the aggressive behavior in isolated males of its 102 atmosphere [ ].

Observations in the Man

The Grass of San Juan has been taking using for many years in popular medicine like remedy for urinary wounds, infections and to alleviate the disorders of the nervous system. In the last 15 years Hypericum has studied perforatum L. in the indication of "symptomatic treatment of the moderate depression" that attends with states of decay, lack of concentration, loss of interest, fatigue and insomnia, irritability....

The good obtained clinical results with the extract of Hipérico well are documented in numerous studies, clinical tests to double blind person and studies that compare their effects with those of synthesis antidepressants (they exist near 30 studies controlled in more than 1500 depressive patients). The extract of Hipérico is a valuable alternative to tríciclos antidepressants [ 95, 98, 101, 104, 107, 109 ].

Use

Most of the studies made with dry extract of Hipérico they have been made with daily doses equivalent to 0,5-1,0 mg of hipericina during a period that includes between 4 and 8 weeks. The tolerance of the preparations was revealed always excellent and the acceptance on the part of the patients was very high.

In the reviewed studies, the level of indirect effect was approximately of 2 % and the symptoms commonly observed were gastro-intestinal manifestations (nauseas, gastralgias), allergic fatigue and, in very few cases, signs (reddening of the face, prúrito and eritema).

Cause somnolencia and does not have negative influence on the capacity to lead and to use machinery. The preparations of Hipérico are characterized almost by a clear benefit and without risk.

The Hipérico is not indicated in the treatment of severe depressions. Its indication is recognized by the Federal Office of Health of Germany that pleads for the administration of preparations of Hipérico (2 to 4 vegetal drug g daily) for the treatment of slight depressions to moderate.

The toxicología of the preparations of Hipérico concerns the fototoxicidad of naftodiantronas mainly. Despite that fototoxicidad it only appears in the man when amounts superior to 30 times interfere the recommended ones in therapeutic. One is not due to use simultaneously with antihypertensive antidepressants nor except for facultative prescription.

The drug

It is constituted by the flowery sumidad dried collection during the period of flowering or a little before.

The stem is ramoso, aristado and glabro, presents/displays two longitudinal but or less salient bands. The opposed leaves, stipulated, oval-oblong do not measure of 15 to 20 mm in length. They present/display black glandulosos hairs in the edges and on all the surface, numerous secretory, translúcidas, visible glands by transparency.

The flowers regular and are grouped in corimbiformes clusters in the superior part of the stem. They take to 5 petals yellow old gold and also they take in the wild black secretory hairs. Estambres is triadelfos, of yellow color gold and 3 carpelos with red styles.

Bibliography

[ 92 ] P. HALAMA.

Wirksamkeit DES 160 Johanniskrautextraktes LI bei to depressiver Verstimmung-Nervenheilkunde, 1991, 10, 250-253.

[ 93 ] G. HARBER and H. SOMMER.

Therapie to leichter/mittelschwerer Depressionen mit Hypericum.

Münch. med. Wschr., 1993, 22, 305-309.

[ 94 ] J. HOFFMANN ET to.

Therapie von depresivven Zuständen mit Hypericin.

Z. Allg. Med., 1979, 55, 776-782.

[ 95 ] D. JOHNSON ET al. (b).

Einfluss von Johanniskraut auf die ZNS-Aktivität.

Neurol. Psychiatr., 1992, 6, 436-444.

[ 96 ] J. HÖLZL.

Inhaltsstoffe und Wirkmechanismen DES Johanniskrautes.

Zeit. f. Phytother., 1993, 14, 255-264.

[ 97 ] R. KNIEBEL and J.M. BURCHARD.

Zur Therapie to depressiver Verstimmungen in der Praxis.

Z. Allg. Med., 1988, 64, 689-696.

[ 98 ] J. KUGLER and to.

Zur Pharmakodynamik Hypericum-Extraktes cinemas.

Z. Allg. Med., 1990, 66, 13-20.

[ 99 ] J. KUGLER and to.

Therapie to depressiver Zustände.

Z. Allg. Med., 1990, 66, 21-29.

[ 100 ] S. LEHRL and H. WOELK.

Psychometrische Messung der Leistungskapazität to unter to antidepressiver Therapie mit Johanniskraut-Extrakt.

Nervenheilkunde, 1991, 10, 313-315.

[ 101 ] H. MÜLDNER ET to.

Antidepressive Wirkung eines auf gives Wirkstoffkomplex Hypericin standardisierten Hypericum-Extraktes.

Arzneim-forsch./Drug. Head of cattle, 1984, 34 (II), 918-920.

[ 102 ] N. OKPANYI S ET to.

Tierexperimentelle Untersuchungen zur psychotropen Wirksamkeit eines Hypericum-Extraktes.

Arzneim.-Forsch./Drug. Head of cattle, 1987, 37 (I), 10-13.

[ 103 ] D. PIESCHL ET to.

Zur Behandlung von Depressionen.

Therapiewoche, 1989, 39, 2567-2571.

[ 104 ] H. D. REUTER.

Hypericum als Pflanzliches Antidepressivum.

Zeit. f. Phytoter., 1993, 14, 239-254.

[ 105 ] Or SCHMIDT.

Konstantes Reaktionsvermögen to unter to antidepressiver Therapie mit dem Hypericum-Präparat LI 160.

Nervenheilkunde, 1991, 10, 311-312.

[ 106 ] H. SOMMER.

Improvement of psychovegetative complaints by hypericum.

4th and International Congress on Phytotherapy, Sept. 10-13, 1992, Muchich (Abstracts SL55).

[ 107 ] H. SOMMER. Besserung to psychovegetativer Beschwerden durch Hypericum im Rahmen to einer multizentrischen Doppelblindstudie. Nervenheilkunde.

Nervenheilkunde, 1991, 10, 308-310.

[ 108 ] G. WARNECKE.

Beeinflussung to klimalterischer Depressionen.

Z. Allg. Med., 1986, 62, 1111-1113.

[ 109 ] H. WOELK.

Functional Multicentric practice-study analyzing the capacity in depressive patients. 4th and international.

Congress on Phytotherapy, Sept, 10-13. 1992, Munich (Abstracts SL54).

Diseases in whose treatment this plant is adapted

Stress and depression

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