Review

St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) and depression: what happens to the neurotransmitter systems?

St. John's wort is a plant with bioactive compounds that have been found to have therapeutic effects on psychiatric and mood disorders such as PTSD, ADHD, OCD, and anxiety. This review study discusses the role of St. John's wort in modulating depression, with respect to changes in neurotransmitter levels in the brain. The study concludes that changes in neurotransmitter levels in depression are complex and that St. John's wort can have inconsistent effects on them. Future studies should focus on studying glutamate and acetylcholine as important neurotransmitters to understand in depression, and on the dualistic modulation of cholinergic signaling induced by St. John's wort.

Kholghi G et al (2022).
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol.
PubMed:
35294606