Summary of current knowledge on a wide range of issues concerning St John's wort. Covers plant infections, cultivation, manufacturing, standardisation, quality control, biochemistry, pharmacology and clinical application. Tackles some previously unanswered questions, such as: Which are the pharmacologically active compounds? Is St John's wort effective for severe depression? What are its mechanisms of action? What are the long-term effects and risks? Should St John's wort products be marketed as dietary supplements or as drugs? How does it compare to synthetic drugs for the same indication?
Hypericum Botany. Colletotrichum Gloeosporiodes as the Cause of St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) Dieback in Switzerland and Breeding for a Tolerant Variety. A Virus Causing Yellow Veins and Necrotic Leaf Spot of St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.). Manufacturing Standardisation and Characterisation of St John's Wort Herb Extracts. Culture and Biotechnology of Hypericum. Chemical Constituents of Hypericum ssp. Determination of Hybericins and Hyperforin in Herbal Medicinal Products. Secondary Metabolites Content of Hypericum sp. in Different Stages and Plant Parts. Herbal Medicinal Products of St John's Wort: Manufacturing and Quality Control. The Potential of in vitro Cultures of Hypericum perforatum and of Hypericum androsaemum to Produce Interesting Pharmaceutical Compounds. The Clinical Pharmacology of Hypericum perforatum. Hypericin as a Potential Antitumor Agent. Neuropsychopharmacological Studies on Indian Hypericum perforatum Linn. The Efficacy and Safety of Hypericum in the Treatment of Depression.