Active Ingredient St. John's Wort (hypericum Perforatum L.)

genus of perennial plants in the family clusiaceae (sometimes classified as hypericaceae). herbal and homeopathic preparations are used for depression, neuralgias, and a variety of other conditions. hypericum contains flavonoids; glycosides; mucilage, tannins; volatile oils (oils, essential), hypericin and hyperforin.

Source:

medlineplus herbs and supplements: st. john's wort (hypericum perforatum l.)

Medical Condition	Uses based on scientific evidence	Grade*
depressive disorder not elsewhere classified	st. john's wort has been extensively studied in europe over the last two decades, with more recent research in the united states. short-term studies (1-3 months) suggest that st. john's wort is more effective than placebo (sugar pill), and equally effective as tricyclic antidepressants (tcas) in the treatment of mild-to-moderate major depression. comparisons to the more commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (ssri) antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (prozac ) or sertraline	a
depressive disorder not elsewhere classified	studies of st. john's wort for severe depression have not provided clear evidence of effectiveness.	c
human immunodeficiency virus	anti-viral effects of st. john's wort have been observed in laboratory studies, but were not found in one human study. multiple reports of significant adverse effects and interactions with drugs used for hiv/aids, including protease inhibitors (pis) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (nnrtis), suggest that patients being treated for hiv/aids should avoid this herb. therefore, there is evidence to recommend against using st. john's wort in the treatment of patients with hiv/aids.	d
neuralgia neuritis and radiculitis unspecified	early study shows that st. john's wort may help neuropathic (nerve) pain. further research is needed to confirm these results.	c
obsessive-compulsive disorders	there are a few reported cases of possible benefits of st. john's wort in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (ocd). currently there is not enough scientific evidence to recommend st. john's wort for this condition.	c
other atopic dermatitis and related conditions	early study of hypericum-cream in the topical treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis shows positive results. further studies are needed before a firm recommendation can be made.	c
other disorders of impulse control	overall, there is currently not enough evidence to recommend st. john's wort for the primary treatment of anxiety disorders.	c
premenstrual tension syndromes	further studies are needed before a strong recommendation can be made.	c
social phobia	results of early study on the efficacy of st. john's wort in social phobia do not show benefit. more study is needed to confirm these findings.	d
somatoform disorders	somatoform disorders show physical symptoms that cannot be attributed to organic disease and appear to be of psychic origin. early evidence shows that st. john's wort may help with somatoform disorders. further research is needed to confirm these results.	c

*Key to grades
A: Strong scientific evidence for this use;
B: Good scientific evidence for this use;
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use;
D: Fair scientific evidence against this use;
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use.