BACKGROUND A number of bio-active secondary metabolites have been identified and reported for several Hypericum species. Many studies have reported the potential use of the plant extracts against several pathogens. However, Hypericum triquetrifolium is one of the least studied species for its antimicrobial activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of the essent...

BACKGROUND St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) has been known for centuries for its therapeutic properties and its efficacy as an antidepressant has been confirmed by a growing body of evidence. During the last two decades it has also come to prominence with a wider public, due to advertising efforts across Europe and United States of America. However, its availability without prescription, a...

The genus Hypericum (Hypericaceae) has attracted remarkable scientific interest as its members accumulate significant amounts of various bioactive compounds. In the current study, we investigated accumulation of several bioactive compounds in various parts of Hypericum hircinum L. subsp. majus (Ainton) N. Robson, H. pallens Banks et Sol., H. russeggeri (Fenzl) R. Keller and H. lanuginosum Lam. ...

Hypericum perforatum, is a plant which blooms between july and september at farms, borders of roads and woods, top of hills and grasslands, whose anti-inflammatory effects are shown in various studies. It is shown that cigarette smoke causes increase in inflammation mediators on lung. Due to this reason, we planned a study to examine the protective effects of Hypericum perforatum aganist smoke ...

Several modes of reproduction were described in the genus Hypericum. Besides obligate sexuality, irregularities in meiosis, polyembryony and pseudogamous apomixis were noticed in various taxa of the genus. This review summarizes previous knowledge and also analyses evolutionary consequences of different breeding systems and possible employment of particular reproductive modes for breeding in th...

The páramos, high-elevation Andean grasslands ranging from ca. 2800 m to the snow line, harbor one of the fastest evolving biomes worldwide since their appearance in the northern Andes 3-5 million years (Ma) ago. Hypericum (St. John's wort), with over 65% of its Neotropical species, has a center of diversity in these high Mountain ecosystems. Using nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS)...

BACKGROUND Hypericum perforatum is a medicinal plant species containing many polyphenolic compounds, namely flavonoids and phenolic acids. In this study we evaluate the effect of Hypericum perforatum in animal model of periodontitis. METHODS Periodontitis was induced in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats by placing a nylon thread ligature around the lower 1st molars. Hypericum perforatum was admi...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to assess the potential of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) to prevent obesity and abnormalities in lipid metabolism induced by ovariectomy in a rat model without stimulatory activity on uterus. MATERIALS/METHODS Ovariectomized (OVX) rats were treated for 6 weeks with 70% ethanol extracts of Hypericum perforatum [HPEs: whole plant (WHPE) an...

The present study has been evaluated the neuroprotective effect of Hypericum perforatum extract on the reaction of astrocytes in mice brain treated with an intraperitoneal injection of 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (20 mg/kg with 2 hr intervals). Treatment with Hypericum perforatum extract (HPE) resulted in an inhibition of monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) activity and reduced ...

This is the first evidence on successful Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetic transformation of two species from the genus Hypericum, H. tomentosum L. and H. tetrapterum Fries. Hairy root cultures were induced from root segments of both Hypericum species by two agropine wild-type strains of A. rhizogenes, ATCC 15834 and A4. The transgenic character of the hairy root cultures was proved by ...