Use of Hypericum perforatum (HP) for the treatment of psychiatric disorders: moderate to severe unipolar depression

In recent decades there has been a constant growth in the search for alternative treatments and in the therapeutic use of natural products, which combine efficacy and reduce of adverse effects. Phytotherapy stands out in the treatment of psychiatric disorders because its efficacy is proven through herbal preparations, emphasizing Hypericum perforatum (HP). Latter is a plant of the family Hypericaceae, perennial herbaceous from temperate regions of Europe, Asia and Africa, and has been used for centuries in traditional medicine to treat and prevent various diseases due to its nefroprotective effects, antioxidant, antifungal, anxiolytic, antidepressants, antiviral, healing, and help with sleep disorders. At present, it is a great source of studies for the scientific community, as a result of the large amount of secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds present in it. Among the pharmacological activities that the plant has, the antidepressant action owing to the variety of bioactive compounds, hypericin (responsible for the inhibition of the enzyme monoamine oxidase - MAO), hyperforin (capable of inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline , GABA and L-glutamate) and flavonoids the main responsible for this action, which also favor the reduction of the degradation and increase the sensitization of neurochemical substances, as well as the enhance of the binding to several receptors, also demonstrating greater effectiveness when compared to the placebo effect.