Medicinal plants in Mexico: healers' consensus and cultural importance.

The chemical composition of St. John's wort has been well-studied. Documented pharmacological activities, including antidepressant, antiviral, and antibacterial effects, provide supporting evidence for several of the traditional uses stated for St John's wort. Many pharmacological activities appear to be attributable to hypericin and to the flavonoid constituents; hypericin is also reported to be responsible for the photosensitive reactions that have been documented for St. John's wort. With regard to the antidepressant effects of St John's wort, hyperforin, rather than hypericin as originally thought, has emerged as one of the major constituents responsible for antidepressant activity. Further research is required to determine which other constituents contribute to the antidepressant effect. Evidence from randomised controlled trials has confirmed the efficacy of St John's wort extracts over placebo in the treatment of mild-to-moderately severe depression. Other randomised controlled studies have provided some evidence that St John's wort extracts are as effective as some standard antidepressants in mild-to-moderate depression. There is still a need for further trials to assess the efficacy of St John's wort extracts, compared with that of standard antidepressants, particularly newer antidepressant agents, such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (recent comparative studies with fluoxetine and sertraline have been conducted). Also, there is a need for further studies in well-defined groups of patients, in different types of depression, and conducted over longer periods in order to determine long-term safety. St John's wort does appear to have a more favourable short-term safety profile than do standard antidepressants, a factor that is likely to be important in patients continuing to take medication. Concerns have been raised over interactions between St John's wort and certain prescribed medicines (including warfarin, ciclosporin, theophylline, digoxin, HIV protease inhibitors, anticonvulsants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, triptans, oral contraceptives); advice is that patients taking these medicines should stop taking St John's wort, generally after seeking professional advice as dose adjustment of conventional treatment may be necessary.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1211/0022357011775910

St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.): a review of its chemistry, pharmacology and clinical properties

The sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide induces apoptosis of human acute myelogenous leukemia stem and progenitor cells

https://jeffreydachmd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/What-made-sesquiterpene-lactones-reach-cancer-clinical-trials-Ghantous-Akram-2010.pdf

What made sesquiterpene lactones reach cancer clinical trials

The anti-inflammatory natural product parthenolide from the medicinal herb Feverfew directly binds to and inhibits IkappaB kinase

https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1016/S0014-5793%2896%2901502-5

Sesquiterpene lactone containing Mexican Indian medicinal plants and pure sesquiterpene lactones as potent inhibitors of transcription factor NF-κB

Yucatec Mayan medicinal plants: evaluation based on indigenous uses

NF-kappa B is a transcription factor involved in immune and inflammatory responses. Here we show that micromolar concentrations of hypericin inhibited the PMA- and TNF-alpha-induced activation of NF-kappa B in HeLa and TC10 cells, respectively. In contrast, NF-kappa B activated by H2O2 was not influenced by hypericin, indicating a pathway-specificity of hypericin. Hyperforin and a Hypericum perforatum extract standardised on 0.15% hypericin and 5% hyperforin were not active at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. The PMA/TNF-alpha-induced transcription of a reporter gene, which is under the control of the NF-kappa B-dependent IL-6 promoter, was strongly reduced by preincubation with hypericin.

P. M. Bork

Papers

Sesquiterpene lactone containing Mexican Indian medicinal plants and pure sesquiterpene lactones as potent inhibitors of transcription factor NF-κB

Yucatec Mayan medicinal plants: evaluation based on indigenous uses

Hypericin as a non-antioxidant inhibitor of NF-κB

Nahua indian medicinal plants (Mexico): Inhibitory activity on NF-κB as an anti-inflammatory model and antibacterial effects.

Multiple screening of medicinal plants from Oaxaca, Mexico: ethnobotany and bioassays as a basis for phytochemical investigation