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Hypericum perforatum Linn (St. John’s wort) is a popular and widespread medicine in Syria, which is used for a wide range of conditions, including gastrointestinal diseases, heart disease, skin diseases, and psychological disorders. This widespread use prompted us to identify the main compounds of this plant from Syria that are responsible for its medicinal properties, especially since its components differ between countries according to the nature of the soil, climate, and altitude. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report in which St. John’s wort, a plant native to Syria, is extracted using different solvents and its most important compounds are identified. In this study, the dried above-ground parts, i.e., leaves, stem, petals, and flowers, were extracted using different solvents (water, ethanol, methanol, and acetone) and extraction protocols. By increasing the polarity of the solvent, higher yields were obtained, indicating that mainly hydrophobic compounds were extracted. Therefore, we conclude that extraction using the tea method or using a mixture of water and organic solvents resulted in higher yields compared with pure organic solvents or continuous boiling with water for long periods. The obtained extracts were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a diode array detector (HPLC–DAD), coupled with UV–visible spectrophotometry at a full spectrum (200–800 nm). The HPLC spectra of the extracts were almost identical at three wavelengths (260 nm for phloroglucinols (hyperforin and derivates), 590 nm for naphthodianthrones (hypericins), and 350 nm for other flavonols, flavones, and caffeoylquinic acids), with differences observed only in the intensity of the peaks. This indicates that the same compounds were obtained using different solvents, but in different amounts. Five standards (chlorogenic acid, quercetin, quercitrin hydrate, hyperoside, and hypericin) were used, and a comparison with retention times and ultravio

Contextualization: The species Hypericum perforatum is widely applied for the treatment of several diseases, mainly for depression. The plant is not native to Brazil, a country that has a high degree of the disease, being considered a public health problem. Knowledge gap: The establishment of the species in the country can provide greater economic and demand autonomy, presenting itself as a treatment with few or no side effect. Purpose: Evaluate the use of highly potentialized dilutions and the influence of the growing season on the vegetative growth and contents of bioactive compounds in Hypericum perforatum plants. Methodology: Experiments were performed in two seasons: Spring/Summer and Summer/Autumn. The experimental plot consisted of 12 plants, 4 repetitions, and 5 treatments consisting of homeopathic preparations of Kali carbonicum, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphorus, and Silicea terra at 12CH, and distilled water as control, summing up 48 plants per treatment. The height of the longest branch, number of branches, dry mass of the shoots and dark glands were evaluated, as well as the amounts of phenolic compounds. Results and conclusions: Homeopathic preparations affected differently H. perforatum plants over the cultivated seasons. In the Spring/Summer experiment, the Silicea terra treatment promoted plant growth, differing from Phosphorus, but not from other treatments. In the Summer/Autumn experiment, the homeopathies Kali carbonicum, Natrum Muriaticum and Phosphorus increased the vegetative growth in relation to control. The experiment carried out in the Spring/Summer showed the best results, increasing the growth and the number of branches and affording higher biomass yield. The formation of dark glands was not stimulated by the use of homeopathic preparations, however, the Spring/Summer experiment promoted higher averages. The hypericin compound was not detected in any sample of H. perforatum leaves. This suggests the need for an extended cultivation time to a, Contextualización: La especie Hypericum perforatum se aplica ampliamente para el tratamiento de varias enfermedades, principalmente para la depresión. La planta no es originaria de Brasil, país que tiene un alto grado de la enfermedad, siendo considerada un problema de salud pública.  Vacío de conocimiento: El establecimiento de la especie en el país puede brindar una mayor autonomía económica y de demanda, presentándose como un tratamiento con pocos o ningún efecto secundario. Propósito del estudio: Evaluar el uso de diluciones altamente potencializadas y la influencia de la temporada de crecimiento sobre el crecimiento vegetativo y el contenido de compuestos bioactivos en plantas de Hypericum perforatum. Metodología: Los experimentos se realizaron en dos temporadas: Primavera/Verano y Verano/Otoño. La parcela experimental consistió en 12 plantas, 4 repeticiones y 5 tratamientos que consistieron en preparaciones homeopáticas de Kali carbonicum, Natrum muriaticum, Phosphorus y Silicea terra a 12CH y agua destilada como control, sumando 48 plantas por tratamiento. Se evaluó la altura de la rama más larga, número de ramas, masa seca de los brotes y glándulas oscuras, así como las cantidades de compuestos fenólicos.Resultados y conclusiones: Las preparaciones homeopáticas afectaron de manera diferente a las plantas de H. perforatum durante las temporadas de cultivo. En el experimento Primavera/Verano, el tratamiento de Silicea terra promovió el crecimiento de las plantas, diferenciándose de Phosphorus, pero no de otros tratamientos. En el experimento Verano/Otoño, las homeopatías Kali carbonicum, Natrum Muriaticum y Phosphorus incrementaron el crecimiento vegetativo en relación al control. El experimento realizado en Primavera/Verano mostró los mejores resultados, aumentando el crecimiento y el número de ramas y proporcionando mayor rendimiento de biomasa. La formación de glándulas oscuras no fue estimulada por el uso de preparaciones homeopáticas, sin embargo, el

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort) is a well-known medicinal plant that possesses secondary metabolites with beneficial pharmacological properties. However, improvement in the production of secondary metabolites via genetic manipulation is a challenging task as H. perforatum remains recalcitrant to Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Here, the transcripts of key genes involved in several plant defence responses (secondary metabolites, RNA silencing, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and specific defence genes) were investigated in H. perforatum suspension cells inoculated with A. tumefaciens by quantitative real-time PCR. Results indicated that key genes from the xanthone, hypericin and melatonin biosynthesis pathways, the ROS-detoxification enzyme HpAOX, as well as the defence genes Hyp-1 and HpPGIP, were all upregulated to rapidly respond to A. tumefaciens elicitation in H. perforatum. By contrast, expression levels of genes involved in hyperforin and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were markedly downregulated upon A. tumefaciens elicitation. In addition, we compared the expression patterns of key genes in H. perforatum leaf tissues with and without dark glands, a major site of secondary metabolite production. Overall, we provide evidence for the upregulation of several phenylpropanoid pathway genes in response to elicitation by Agrobacterium, suggesting that production of secondary metabolites could modulate H. perforatum recalcitrance to A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation.

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort) is medicinal plant with high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial and antitumoral activities, used in treatments of many diseases. In this paper content of polyphenols compounds (total phenols, tannins and flavonoids) and antioxidant potential of methanol, ethanol, acetone and aqueous extracts of Hyperici herba were evaluated. The highest concentration of total phenols and total tannins were found in acetone extracts. The highest total flavonoids amount was detected in alcohol extracts. Acetone extracts showed the strongest antioxidant capacity.

Работа посвящена твердофазному концентрированию различных типов фенольных соединений из водных экстрактов лекарственного растительного сырья семейств Зверобойные (Hypericum perforatum L.) и Яснотковые (Thymus serpyllum L., Salvia officinalis L.) с использованием различных сорбционных материалов для их дальнейшей идентификации. В качестве твердофазных сорбционных материалов использовали известные в аналитической практике октадецилсиликагель (Strata C18-E), сополимер стирола и дивинилбензола, химически модифицированный N-винилпирролидоном (Strata X), сополимер дивинилбензола и N-винилпирролидона, проявляющий гидрофильно-липофильную двойственность (Oasis HLB), а также непористый графитированный углерод (Supelclean ENVI-Carb). Для каждого из сорбентов получены основные сорбционные характеристики по отношению к целевым соединениям, а также их десорбционные параметры. Использование полимерных материалов Strata X и Oasis HLB позволяет извлекать из водных экстрактов растений целевые соединения при пяти-, а в случае с гидрофильно-липофильным сорбентом при 32- и 20-кратном концентрировании. Октадецилсиликагель показывает полноту десорбции флавоноидов (R ≥ 90 %), однако по отношению к фенолкарбоновым кислотам его использование нецелесообразно ввиду низких значений степеней извлечения аналитов (R ≤ 40 %). Достаточно универсальными сорбционными свойствами обладают гидрофильно-липофильные материалы (Oasis HLB), обеспечивающие высокие значения коэффициентов концентрирования при приемлемых значениях степеней извлечения фенолкарбоновых кислот (R ≤ 96 %) и флавоноидов (R ≤ 91 %). Сорбция фитокомпонентов непористым углеродным сорбентом Supelclean ENVI-Carb дает достаточно высокие характеристики, но процесс десорбции данных соединений затруднителен и требует дальнейшего изучения. Использование различных типов сорбентов показывает, что минорные компоненты, которые не детектируются в обычных условиях их хроматографического определения, могут быть сконцентрированы ТФЭ для дальнейшей их ид, The current work is devoted to the solid-phase concentration of phenolic compounds from the aqueous extracts of medicinal plant raw materials using the various sorbents for their further identification. Plants of the Hypericaceae (Hypericum perforatum L.) and Lamiaceae (Thymus serpyllum L., Salvia officinalis L.) families were selected as samples in this effort. For each of the sorbents, the main sorption characteristics («breakthrough volumes» and dynamic sorbents capacities) in relation to the target compounds, as well as their desorption parameters (concentration factor and recoveries) were obtained. Strata X and Oasis HLB polymeric materials allowed extracting the target compounds from the water extracts of plants at five-, and in the case of hydrophilic-lipophilic sorbent at 32- and 20-fold concentration. Strata C18-Е showed complete desorption of flavonoids (R ≥ 90%), but in relation to the phenolic acids, its use was impractical due to the low values of recovery analytes (R ≤ 40%). The Oasis HLB sorbent had universal sorption properties, which provided high concentration coefficients at acceptable values of recoveries of phenolic acids (R ≤ 96%) and flavonoids (R ≤ 91%). The sorption of phytocomponents with the Supelclean ENVI-Carb sorbent gave quite high characteristics, but the process of desorption of these compounds was difficult and requires further study. The use of the various types of sorbents showed that minor components that were not detected under the usual conditions of their chromatographic determination could be concentrated by SPE for their further identification, which would provide an extension of the range of definable compounds in various medicinal plants.

Numerous geriatric patients are using Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for late-life mood and cognitive disorders. Natural products and supplements are a common CAM intervention which have risks and benefits of which patients should be appropriately advised. The data for omega-3 fatty acids, ginkgo biloba, SAMe, St John's wort, B vitamins and vitamin D, huperzine, caprylidene, and coconut oil will be evaluated. Since the evidence basis for natural products and supplements is limited, especially for the geriatric population, studies involving the general adult population are included to infer effects in the aging population. Despite the data available, more rigorous studies with larger sample sizes over longer periods of time are still needed. Regardless of a physician's preference to recommend various natural supplements and products, a physician could protect their patients by having an understanding of the side effects and indications for various natural products.

Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum) was determined on seed of St. John's wort produced in localities Pančevo, Gorobilje and Kačarevo during 2008 and 2009. Morphological characteristics of monosporial isolates were described. All tested isolates formed in vitro perithecia, and were classified as F. graminearum (syn. F. graminearum Group 2). Pathogenicity was confirmed by the artificial inoculation of St. John's wort seed., Ispitivanjem zdravstvenog stanja semena kantariona iz kolekcije Instituta za proučavanje lekovitog bilja 'Dr Josif Pančić' proizvedenog tokom 2008. i 2009. godine u lokalitetima Pančevo, Gorobilje i Kačarevo, prvi put je u Srbiji utvrđeno prisustvo vrste Gibberella zeae (anamorf Fusarium graminearum). Ova vrsta je identifikovana na osnovu makroskopskih i mikroskopskih osobina dobijenih monospornih izolata. Svi ispitivani izolati su u in vitro uslovima formirali peritecije, te su na osnovu ovog i drugih osobina identifikovani kao F. graminearum (syn. F. graminearum Grupa 2). Patogenost je potvrđena pojavom nekroze klijanaca nakon inokulacije semena kanatariona.

Oleum Hyperici, the oil extract of St. Johns Wort (SJW), is one of the oldest folk remedies, traditionally used in the topical treatment of wounds, bruises, ulcers, cuts, burns, hemorrhoids and also as an antiseptic. Considering the advantageous characteristics of emulsion applications, in the present study we have formulated three O/W creams containing 15% (w/v) of SJW oil extract as an active ingredient. The aim was to estimate dermatological application of the prepared creams for the abovementioned indications. The extracts were prepared according to the prescriptions from traditional medicine, however with different vegetable oils used as an extractant, namely: Olive, palm and sunflower oil. The investigated O/W creams demonstrated significant antiinflammatory effects in an in vivo double-blind randomized study, using a sodium lauryl sulphate test. Both skin parameters assessed in the study (electrical capacitance and erythema index), were restored to the baseline value after a seven-day treatment with the tested creams. Almost all investigated SJW oil extracts and corresponding creams displayed the same antimicrobial activity against the most of the investigated microorganisms with obtained minimal inhibitory concentrations values of 1,280 mu g/mL, 2,560 mu g/mL or >2,560 mu g/mL.

Marshmallow, coneflower, St. John's wort and sage, which grown in plantation, were the hosts of numerous fungi species that cause a variety of symptoms. A total of 34 species from 22 genera were determined. Some species pathogen on only one host (Puccinia malvacearum on marshmallow, Diaporthe eres and Seimatosporium hypericum on St. John's wort), while others were present at all examined hosts (species of the genus Fusarium are present in all examined hosts). The most abundant species in the seed was Alternaria alternate. The percentage of contaminated seeds ranged from 5% to 69%. Fusaium species were isolated from 2.5% to 29% of seeds, depending on the host and year. From the root of the studied medicinal plants seven species of Fusarium (F.graminearum, F. oxysporum, F.proliferatum, F.semitectum, F.solani, F.subglutinans and F.verticilioides) and one of the genus Sclerotinia (S.sclerotiorum) were isolated. Thirteen fungi species belonging to 10 genera were isolated from stem, leaves and flower of medicinal plants., Plantažno gajeni beli slez, ehinacee, kantarion i žalfija su domaćini brojnih vrsta gljiva koje prouzrokuju različite simptome. Ukupno je determinisano 34 vrsta iz 22 roda. Neke vrste parazitiraju samo jednog domaćina (Puccinia malvacearum na belom slezu, Diaporthe eres i Seimatosporium hypericum na kantarionu), dok druge ispoljavaju izrazitu polifagnost (vrste iz roda Fusarium prisutne su na svim ispitivanim domaćinima). Najzastupljenija vrsta na semenu bila je Alternaria alternata, koja je uvek prisutna na semenu u visokom procentu, a pojednih godina i preko 60 %. Procenat kontaminiranog semana kretao se od 5% do 69%. godini. U proseku procenat zaraženog semena sa vrstama roda Fusaium bio 17,2% i kretao se od 2,5% do 29% u zavisnosti od domaćina i godine. Na korenu ispitivanih lekovitih biljaka izolovano je sedam vrsta gljiva iz roda Fusarium (F.graminearum, F.oxysporum, F.proliferatum, F.semitectum, F.solani, F.subglutinans i F verticilioides) i jedna iz roda Sclerotinia (S.sclerotiorum). Sa nadzemnih organa izolovano je 13 vrsta gljiva iz 10 rodova.

Gibberella zeae (anamorph Fusarium graminearum) was determined on seed of St. John's wort produced in localities Pančevo, Gorobilje and Kačarevo during 2008 and 2009. Morphological characteristics of monosporial isolates were described. All tested isolates formed in vitro perithecia, and were classified as F. graminearum (syn. F. graminearum Group 2). Pathogenicity was confirmed by the artificial inoculation of St. John's wort seed., Ispitivanjem zdravstvenog stanja semena kantariona iz kolekcije Instituta za proučavanje lekovitog bilja 'Dr Josif Pančić' proizvedenog tokom 2008. i 2009. godine u lokalitetima Pančevo, Gorobilje i Kačarevo, prvi put je u Srbiji utvrđeno prisustvo vrste Gibberella zeae (anamorf Fusarium graminearum). Ova vrsta je identifikovana na osnovu makroskopskih i mikroskopskih osobina dobijenih monospornih izolata. Svi ispitivani izolati su u in vitro uslovima formirali peritecije, te su na osnovu ovog i drugih osobina identifikovani kao F. graminearum (syn. F. graminearum Grupa 2). Patogenost je potvrđena pojavom nekroze klijanaca nakon inokulacije semena kanatariona.

Třezalková droga - sušená nať zejména třezalky tečkované (Hypericum perforatum L.) je již od starověku používána v lidovém léčitelství například při poruchách nervového systému. V dostupné literatuře byly vyhledány informace o způsobu použití třezalkové drogy, účincích a možných interakcích s jinými léčivy a o výskytu derivátů nasycených či aromatických polycyklických uhlovodíků, jakož i dalších obsahových látek s potenciálními biologickými účinky., Dry St. John's wort tops have been used in traditional medicine e.g. for nervous system diseases treatment since ancient era. The information about using St. John's wort, effects and possible drug-drug interactions and about presence of saturated and aromatic fused polycyclic hydrocarbons derivatives as well as other compounds with potential biological effects were searched out in available sources., Ústav potravinářského inženýrství a chemie, obhájeno

Adjuvant use of nutritional and herbal medicines has potential to increase the efficacy of synthetic pharmaceuticals, and perhaps also decrease their side-effects by allowing lower doses to be prescribed. We evaluated current evidence for adjuvant use of nutritional and herbal medicines with antidepressants, mood stabilizers and benzodiazepines; and explored novel future areas of research. The paper also critiques current evidence for co-administration of St. John’s wort with synthetic antidepressants. We performed a systematic search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, The Cochrane database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and the Chinese Science Citation Database. Search results were supplemented by a review of reference lists and a forward search using the Web of Science. Where possible we calculated effect sizes. Encouraging evidence exists for the use of omega-3 fatty acids, SAMe, folic acid and l-tryptophan adjuvantly with antidepressants to enhance response and improve efficacy. Various nutrients also have emerging evidence as effective adjuncts with antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. While some evidence supports nutritional adjuvancy with various psychopharmacotherapies, adjuvant use of herbal therapies has not been sufficiently studied to warrant standard clinical application. This remains a promising area of research via robust, safety-conscious studies.

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort) is a medicinal plant widely utilized for the treatment of depression. The antidepressant activity is mainly attributed to the phenolic compounds hypericins and hyperforins, which also have a wide range of other pharmacologically interesting properties. The biosynthetic routes leading to hypericins and hyperforins are poorly understood, although a polyketide pathway including type III polyketide synthases (PKSs) has been suggested to be involved. Furthermore, a gene called hyp-1 is assumed to attend to the final stages of the hypericin biosynthesis. In the present work, the biosynthesis of hypericins and hyperforins in H. perforatum was further studied by focusing on the elucidation of the precursors and genes involved. The incorporation of isotopically labelled branched-chain amino acids into hyperforins was investigated as well as the possibilities to enhance the production of hyperforins in H. perforatum in vitro cultures by feeding them with amino acid precursors. Furthermore, two novel cDNAs encoding for type III PKSs were isolated from H. perforatum. The functions of these new genes, designated HpPKS1 and HpPKS2, as well as the role of hyp-1 were elucidated by comparing their expression with the levels of hypericins and hyperforins in H. perforatum tissues. The enzymatic activity of the recombinant HpPKS2 protein was also analyzed. To study Hyp-1 at a protein level, a protein extraction method was optimized for tissues of Hypericum species. The results show the incorporation of valine and isoleucine into the acyl side chain of hyperforin and adhyperforin, respectively. Through the biotransformation of the amino acid precursors, it is possible to enhance the levels of adhyperforin, but not hyperforin, in H. perforatum shoot cultures, which demonstrates the tight regulation of the hyperforin biosynthesis. A correlation between HpPKS1 expression and hyperforins was detected in H. perforatum tissues. The localizati

Gibberella intermedia (Kuhlmann) Samuels et al. (anamorf: Fusarium proliferatum /Matsushima/ Nirenberg) was isolated from seeds of St. John's wort, marshmallow, and coneflower, as well as from roots and stalks of marshmallow and roots of coneflower. These plants had symptoms of leaf chlorosis, malformation, withering and plant dwarfing and were collected from several localities in Serbia during five-year investigations of mycopopulations of the mentioned plants. The morphological characteristics of the pathogen were described., Gibberella intermedia (Kuhlmann) Samuels et al. (anamorf: Fusarium proliferatum /Matsushima/ Nirenberg) je konstatovana na belom slezu, ehinacei i kantarionu i to na semenu, korenu i stablu, kao i na rasadu ehinacea. Osnovni simptom zaraženih biljaka G. intermedia su bili: propadanje klijanaca, trulež korena i korenovog vrata, patuljavost, asimetričan porast, uvelost, hloroza i smežuranost listova. Uzorci zaraženog biljnog materijala bili su poreklom iz okoline Pančeva, Zrenjanina, Banatskog Novog Sela, Inðije, Rume i Stare Pazove. U radu su date morfološke, fiziološke i patogene karakteristike izolata G. intermedia.

Objective - We report the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) using a combination of St. John’s wort (SJW) and Kava for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) with comorbid anxiety. Methods - Twenty-eight adults with MDD and co-occurring anxiety were recruited for a double-blind RCT. After a placebo run-in of 2 weeks, the trial had a crossover design testing SJW and Kava against placebo over two controlled phases, each of 4 weeks. The primary analyses used intention-to-treat and completer analyses. Results - On both intention-to-treat ( p¼0.047) and completer analyses ( p¼0.003), SJW and Kava gave a significantly greater reduction in self-reported depression on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) over placebo in the first controlled phase. However, in the crossover phase, a replication of those effects in the delayed medication group did not occur. Nor were there significant effects on anxiety or quality of life. Conclusion - There was some evidence of antidepressant effects using SJW and Kava in a small sample with comorbid anxiety. Possible explanations for the absence of anxiolysis may include a potential interaction with SJW, the presence of depression, or an inadequate dose of Kava.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) was extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO2) under 10, 15 and 20 MPa and at 313 and 323 K. The influence Of SC CO2 density (400-800 kg/m(3)) was examined with respect to extraction yield as well as to hyperforin and adhyperforin content, which was determined using a highly selective LC/MS/MS analytical method. A high concentration (up to 526 mg/g total extract) of two phloroglucinol derivatives was determined in this study showing that the absolute extracted amount of hyperforin and adhyperforin (mg per I g of dry plant) is almost constant not depending on total yield of extract, i.e. on density Of SC CO2. Determination of the rate of hyperforin and adhyperforin extraction at 313 K and 10 MPa showed that the maximal rates correspond to consumption of 7-8.5 9 Of CO2 per I g of dry St. John's Wort. Investigation of ultrasonic extraction of St. John's Wort followed after pre-treatment of plant material (323 K; 10 MPa; 2 h; without CO2 flow) indicated that obtained extract contains a higher amount (mg/g plant material) of two most important pharmacological active compounds of St. John's Wort, hyperforin and hypericin, than the extract obtained by ultrasonic extraction only.

St. John's Wort, the Hypericum perforatum L. is one of the most analyzed plant species today. Plant was characterized with a wide ecological spectrum and is a plant with beautiful yellow flowers. St. John's Wort was used and still is in used in traditional medicine all over the World. Many bioactive components from St. John's Wort like hypericine, hyperforine, qercetrine and essential oil, were isolated and have been used in medicine. The most popular use of Hipericum extract is as an antidepressant for the medicinal treatment of mild and high depression. The medical use of hyperforine in photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment has now been intensively analyzed. The extract of St. John's Wort showed high antimicrobial, even on pathogenic microorganisms as well as antiviral activity. The use of bioactive components from St. John's Wort depends on the possibility to isolate them in the pure state. It seems that supercritical extraction with carbon dioxide might to be the best solution for obtaining pure extract as well as some of the components present in the essential oil and extract of St. John's Wort. Such a conclusion is supported by the many results of recently performed and published in scientific journals., Kantarion (Hypericum perforatum L.) jedna je od najviše ispitivanih biljnih vrsta. Odlikuje se širokom ekološkom amplitudom i veoma lepom stabljikom sa žutim cvetovima. Kantarion se koristio i koristi u tradicionalnoj medicini širom sveta, a danas kada su izolovane njegove bioaktivne komponente kao što su hipericin, hiperforin, kvercitrin ali i samo etarsko ulje, počeo je da se koristi i u medicini. Najpoznatija je svakako primena ekstrakta kantariona kao antidepresivnog sredstva kod lečenja svih vrsta depresija i uznemirenosti. Primena bioaktivnih komponenti kantariona u medicini kao sredstva za lečenje raka je u razvoju posebno fotodinamička metoda ali se primenjuje kod lečenja raka kože. Ispitana je antimikrobna aktivnost ekstrakta kantariona i njegovih bioaktivnih komponenti i dobijeni su značajni rezultati i na patogene mikroorganizme. Izolovanje bioaktivnih komponenti etarskog ulja ili ekstrakta kantariona koje se mogu upotrebiti u medicinske svrhe moguće je primenom natkritične ekstrakcije tako da su mnoga istraživanja objavljena u literaturi usmerena ka utvrđivanju najboljih uslova ekstrakcije.

Hypericum perforatum L. and Achillea millefolium L. are plants which can be characterized as heavy metal accumulators. Including relating soils samples differing in pH reaction, 14 samples of St. John's wort and 9 samples of yarrow were collected from different localities in Yugoslavia and Republic Srpska. The total heavy metal content (Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni and Cd) was determined in the collected herb material (for St. John's wort - 25 cm from the top of plant and for yarrow - 30 cm) by standard analytical methods. Heavy metal content in the herb mostly dependent on soil composition, for both species. Concentration of Mn and Zn in the herb decreased linearly with the increase of soil pH (Mn: r = - 0.62* for yarrow and r = - 0.66* for St. John's wort; Zn: r = - 0.71* for yarrow and r = - 0.62 * for St. John's wort), while Cd concentration decreased exponentially (r = - 0.77* for yarrow and r = - 0.58 * for St. John's wort). Cd content in St. John's wort was mostly above limit of 0.5 ppm when soil pH (in nKCl) was lower than 5.9, and 4.5 for yarrow. Higher Cd content in the yarrow herb, and especially St. John's wort herb from acidic soils, points to significance of: 1. Required control of Cd content in the raw materials collected in the wild and 2. Necessary avoidance of such soils for cultivated production of those species. A relationship of Ni content in the herb with soil pH was found only for St. John's wort (r = - 0.80***). Correlation between heavy metal content in the herb and humus content in the soil was analyzed but statistically significant regression coefficients were not obtained. Positive linear dependence was found between Pb and Ni content in the herb and their total content in the soil, for Achillea millefolium L. (r = 0.88 ** and r = 0.65*, respectively), which can be explained by the origin of the samples. Also, there is increase of Cu, Pb and Ni content in the yarrow herb with the increase of their available content in the soil (r = 0.67*, r = 0.88*