Description

Hypericum perforatum, St John’s Wort, is a perennial herb of the family Hypericaceae, native to temperate Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, widely naturalised across North America, Australia, and the Himalayan foothills of India. The plant’s most distinctive morphological feature is its translucent oil glands visible when leaves are held to light, and black, dot-like glands along the petal margins. The aerial parts are rich in hypericin, pseudohypericin, and hyperforin — compounds that have been the subject of extensive European phytomedicine research. Formally assessed by the Commission E (Germany) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), St John’s Wort is formally indicated for mild to moderate depressive mood disorders and nervous agitation. It is among the best-selling botanical products in the United States and European markets and is imported into India for Ayurvedic compound formulations.