In Germany, hypericum extracts are among the most widely prescribed antidepressants. Additionally, many preparations of St. John's wort are sold on the free market and one extract is even the best selling antidepressant in the country. In contrast to synthetic antidepressants, the approval procedures are not so strict, which implies that the pharmaceutical industry is not forced to conduct clin...

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), a perennial flowering plant, has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and has most recently been identified as an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression. Clinical studies on the use of this plant for depression have utilized liquid tinctures and standardized solid extracts (0.3% hypericin--300 mg three times a day). Severe depression...

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. Johns’ wort) is the most commercially important species of the genus Hypericum and contains a wide range of components including naphthodianthrones, phloroglucinols, tannins, xanthones, phenolic acids and essential oil. In order to establish an efficient protocol for regeneration, the effects of explant type and plant growth regulators on direct and indirect shoot r...

Based on starch-iodine agar plate, a novel screening method that can be used to screen for β-lactamase inhibitors from extracts of herbs is established. The extracts of 100 traditional Chinese medicines were screened for βlactamase inhibitors by this method. The inhibition rates of the Rheum palmatum L., Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., Hypericum japonicum Thunb., Paederia scandens (Lour.)...

St. John’s wort (SJW)(Hypericum perforatum L) is one of the oldest medicinal herbs. Hypericum extracts have been shown to be significantly effective in treating mild to moderate depression. To our knowledge, this is the first case report about panic attack in a man induced by a single dose of SJW extract. A 35-year-old male was admitted for gradually increased trembling and fear of dying. He st...