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© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Hypericum perforatum, 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 Hypericum 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.

Details

Title
Documentary Analysis of Hypericum perforatum (St. John’s Wort) and Its Effect on Depressive Disorders
Author
Otero, María Carolina 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ceric, Francisco 2 ; Miranda-Rojas, Sebastián 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Carreño, Carolina 4 ; Escares, Rachelly 4 ; Escobar, María José 4 ; Saracini, Chiara 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Atala, Cristian 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ramírez-Barrantes, Ricardo 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gordillo-Fuenzalida, Felipe 8   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, Chile 
 Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago 7610658, Chile; [email protected] 
 Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, Chile; [email protected]; Center for Theoretical & Computational Chemistry (CQT&C), Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, Chile 
 School of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Santiago 8370146, Chile 
 The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Avenida San Miguel 3605, Talca 3460000, Chile 
 Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 8331150, Chile 
 School of Medical Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Andrés Bello University, Viña del Mar 8370035, Chile; [email protected] 
 Laboratory 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; [email protected] 
First page
1625
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
14248247
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3149740829
Copyright
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.