Witnessed by: TCM · Western · Unani

St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), of the Hypericaceae (formerly Clusiaceae/Guttiferae) family. Erect much-branched herbaceous perennial to 1 m, woody at the base, with opposite sessile leaves and terminal cymes of five-petalled flowers; native range: Europe, western Asia and North Africa; now naturalised across temperate North America, Australia and East Asia (a noxious rangeland weed abroad). Globally recognized as guan ye lian qiao (貫葉連翹) / qian ceng lou in Chinese, hufariqun (حوفاريقون) / dadhi in Arabic, and Klamath weed, goatweed, hypericum, Tipton weed, amber, rosin rose, chase-devil in English. The part used is flowering tops (aerial parts in bud and bloom). Bright yellow five-petalled stars edged with black dots; the leaf held up shows scattered pellucid oil-glands like pinpricks, and the buds and petals rubbed between the fingers stain them purple-red with hypericin and yield a faint balsamic, resinous scent.

In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.

ST JOHN'S WORT

IDENTITY

Name

Common: St John's wort
Scientific name: Hypericum perforatum L.
Family: Hypericaceae (formerly Clusiaceae/Guttiferae)

Form

Part used: flowering tops (aerial parts in bud and bloom)

PROPERTIES

Nature

Taste

how the plant declares itself on the tongue

TCM: bitter · astringent
Western: bitter · astringent (faintly aromatic, resinous)
Unani: bitter · astringent

Temperature

TCM: cool

Western: warm (dry)

Unani: hot (dry, 2nd–3rd degree)

convergence: the systems diverge — TCM reads it as a cooling drug that clears heat and toxin, while the Galenic traditions class it hot and dry, resolving and opening

Affinity

where in the body it travels

Organs / channels

TCM: Liver · Lung · Large Intestine
Western: nervous system · nerves · liver · skin
Unani: nerves · liver · uterus

PRACTICE

Virtue

Actions

TCM: clears heat and resolves toxicity (qing re jie du), cools the blood and stops bleeding, dispels wind-damp and disperses swelling
Western: nervine, antidepressant, sedative, vulnerary, astringent, anti-inflammatory, mildly antiviral; the red oil a topical vulnerary and analgesic
Unani: mohallil (resolvent), munzij-o-mohallil-e-riyah, mudir-e-baul (diuretic) and mudir-e-haiz (emmenagogue), musakkin (analgesic to the nerves), muqawwi-e-asab (nerve tonic)

Cautions

Contraindications: avoid with prescription medicines without professional advice given its powerful drug interactions; not with other antidepressants; caution in bipolar affective disorder (may precipitate mania) and in pregnancy and lactation; fair-skinned people should limit strong sun during high-dose use

Toxicity: generally well tolerated; large or prolonged doses may cause photosensitivity (as in livestock 'hypericism' — sunburn and dermatitis on grazing animals), and gastrointestinal upset, dry mouth, dizziness or restlessness may occur

Interactions

Western: CYP450-metabolised drugs: hyperforin is a potent inducer of hepatic CYP3A4 (and CYP2C9/CYP2C19) and intestinal P-glycoprotein, accelerating clearance and lowering plasma levels of a very wide range of co-administered drugs · immunosuppressants: CYP3A4/P-gp induction sharply reduces ciclosporin and tacrolimus levels, risking transplant rejection · hormonal therapy: enzyme induction lowers ethinylestradiol and progestogen levels, reducing oral-contraceptive efficacy with reports of breakthrough bleeding and unintended pregnancy · MAO inhibitors: additive serotonergic activity (also with SSRIs, triptans and other serotonergic drugs) can precipitate serotonin syndrome · chemotherapy agents: CYP3A4/P-gp induction reduces plasma levels and efficacy of irinotecan, imatinib and other cytotoxics · anticoagulants: CYP2C9/CYP3A4 induction lowers warfarin, apixaban and clopidogrel exposure, reducing anticoagulant control · cardiac glycosides: P-glycoprotein induction reduces digoxin plasma concentration and effect · antiepileptics: enzyme induction lowers carbamazepine and phenytoin levels, risking loss of seizure control · photosensitising drugs: hypericin adds to phototoxic potential, increasing risk of photosensitivity reactions

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