Evidence for Contributions of Interactions of Constituents to the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Hypericum Perforatum

Abstract

Hypericum perforatum (Hp) extracts contain many different classes of constituents including flavonoids and biflavonoids, phloroglucinols, naphthodianthrones, caffeic acid derivatives, and unknown and/or unidentified compounds. Many constituents may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of Hp including quercetin and derivatives, hyperforin, pseudohypericin, and amentoflavone. In line with antidepressant data, it appears that the interactions of constituents may be important for the anti-inflammatory activity of Hp. Interactions of constituents, tested in bioavailability models, may explain why synergistic mechanisms have been found to be important for antidepressant and antiproliferative bioactivities. This review highlights the relationship among individual constituents and the anti-inflammatory activity of Hp extracts and proposes that interactions of constituents may be important for the anti-inflammatory activity of botanical extracts, although the exact mechanisms of the interactions are still unclear.

Keywords:

• Hypericum perforatum
• interactions
• bioactive constituents
• inflammation
• amentoflavone
• quercetin
• chlorogenic acid
• pseudohypericin

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research from the authors' laboratory was made possible by grant number 9P50AT004155 from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), National Institutes of Health (NIH). The contents of this review are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NCCAM, or NIH.