ORIGINAL ARTICLE   Free access

Panminerva Medica 2018 December;60(4):156-60

DOI: 10.23736/S0031-0808.18.03518-8

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Role in depression of a multi-fractionated versus a conventional Hypericum perforatum extract

Francesco DI PIERRO ¹ ✉, Paolo RISSO ², Roberto SETTEMBRE ³

¹ Department of Scientific Research and Development, Velleja Research, Milan, Italy; ² Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; ³ Polyclinic of Bari, Bari, Italy

BACKGROUND: Hypericum perforatum is used as medicinal plant for mild to moderately severe depression. Several trials have found hypericum to be more effective than placebo or some antidepressant drugs, but the exact mechanism and most relevant compounds are still unclear. A possible hypothesis is that the antidepressant activity might be due to its multiplicity of bioactive compounds. Aim is to test if greater chemical complexity could result in a greater hypericum antidepressant action.
METHODS: A retrospective, 12-month, open-label, observational, controlled trial was conducted to compare the antidepressant clinical activity of a conventional Hypericum perforatum (C-Hp) versus a multi-fractionated (M-Hp) one (IperiPlex®).
RESULTS: Treatment with C-Hp demonstrated no efficacy after 6 months and partial (P<0.05) efficacy after 12 months. Treatment with MF-Hp demonstrated highly (P<0.01) significant results at both 6 and 12 months. Analysis of the monthly reduction coefficient demonstrated that treatment with MF-Hp was twice as effective as treatment with C-Hp (0.96 versus 0.48). No side effects were reported.
CONCLUSIONS: A multi-fractionated hypericum extract has better clinical outcomes in subjects with depression without determining an increased risk of toxicity or reduced tolerability.

KEY WORDS: Hypericum - Hypericin - Hyperforin - Depressive disorder - Plant extracts