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St. John’s wort
Hypericum perforatum
Another possible mechanism of action for St. John’s wort’s
antidepressant activity
St. John’s wort has demonstrated favorable results in the
treatment of mild to moderate depression in clinical studies,
but the herb’s mechanism of action remains unclear. Previous
research has shown that the extract inhibits synaptosomal uptake
of serotonin, leading some to suspect that it works in the same
manner as the synthetic antidepressant drugs known as selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). In the present study, researchers
verified that St. John’s wort extract did, in fact, inhibit
serotonin accumulation in rat brain cortical synaptosomes. However,
its mechanism of action appeared to be more closely related to
that of reserpine-like compounds than to classic SSRIs in that
it depletes storage vesicles of serotonin, thereby raising serotonin
concentrations and resulting in apparent reuptake inhibition.
Gobbi M, Dalla Valle F, Ciapparelli C, et al. Hypericum
perforatum L. extract does not inhibit 5-HT transporter in
rat brain cortex. Arch Pharmacol 1999; 360: 262-269.
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