Hypericum extract has been used for the treatment of mild to moderate mental depression. From the existing literature, St. John’s Wort appears to be safe and effective alternative in the treatment of depression.
Two main constituent of Hypericum are thought to play a major role in the plant’s effect on depression. In addition to the originally identified active principle hypericin, other constituents such as hyperforin, adhyperforin and other related compounds are thought to play an active role in the modulation of depression.
Hypericum also has been used to treat nerve pain, mental and sleep disorders. Nowadays, it is used to lose weight because of its ability to control human appetite.
St. John Wort was originally believed in the Middle Ages to have magical powers that would protect one from evil.
The plant was originally named after John the Baptist because the flowers were said to bloom on the anniversary of his execution. It is commonly collected on June 25, St. John’s Day; it soaked in olive oil, eventually producing red oil symbolizing the ‘Blood of St. John’.
The use of hypericum (St. Johns Wort)