The active ingredient in St. John’s wort

At the time of the Romans and the ancient Greeks, it was believed that St. John’s wort had its effects due to the yellow color of its petals. It was believed that God captured the sun in the plant. Now, if this captured sun was fed to humans, depression and other illnesses could be cured.

In the meantime, St. John’s wort oil has been further examined for its effect in various studies. Not everything is yet completely clarified, but approaches to the mechanisms of action have been uncovered. St. John’s wort oil contains various active ingredients.

These ingredients together cause various desired and undesired effects in the body. The active ingredient hypericin is, among other things, responsible for the light sensitivity of the skin. Hyperforin is mainly found in the stamps of the plant.

It acts as a so-called selective reuptake inhibitor for certain messenger substances. Thus, the corresponding messenger substances remain in the so-called synaptic cleft. This means that the concentration and thus the effect of these messenger substances are maintained for longer.

This concerns messenger substances like you play a role with regard to moods, as well as in depression and possibly also in pain. Hyperforin has, in addition to its possible antidepressant function, a possible skin-caring and anti-inflammatory effect. The so-called flavonoids are secondary plant compounds of St. John’s wort.

They have an anti-inflammatory effect on and for the plant itself and are found in St. John’s wort in high concentrations. It is possible that this effect can to a certain extent also be partially used in humans. St. John’s wort oil also contains essential oils, bitter and tanning agents.

According to some authors, the tanning agents in particular contribute to faster wound healing. It is assumed that they compress the tissue surface. As a result, bacteria and viruses are less likely to penetrate the wound, which in turn promotes wound healing.

It is also assumed that the bitter substances have an effect on the regulation of digestion. The lead substance of St. John’s wort oil is hypericin. The amount is determined according to this active substance.

This means that it is only possible to estimate how much hyperforin is present in the preparation. This must be taken into account if one wants to effectively treat mild to moderate depression with St. John’s wort.

Serotonin,
Dopamine,
GABA
And glutamate.