Description
Hypericin is a naphthodianthrone found in Hypericum; it exhibits antibiotic, antiviral, analgesic, neuromodulatory, and anticancer activities. Hypericin inhibits dopamine β-hydroxylase and proteasome activity. Hypericin also decreases activity of N-type and P/Q-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, decreasing release of glutamate. In animal models of chronic constructive injury, hypericin decreases activation of PKC and neuropathic pain. In epidermoid carcinoma cells, hypericin induces apoptosis and cell death when stimulated with UV light.
References
Chang Y, Wang SJ. Hypericin, the active component of St. John's wort, inhibits glutamate release in the rat cerebrocortical synaptosomes via a mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent pathway. Eur J Pharmacol. 2010 May 25;634(1-3):53-61. PMID: 20193678.
Galeotti N, Vivoli E, Bilia AR, et al. St. John's Wort reduces neuropathic pain through a hypericin-mediated inhibition of the protein kinase Cgamma and epsilon activity. Biochem Pharmacol. 2010 May 1;79(9):1327-36. PMID: 20045676.
Berlanda J, Kiesslich T, Oberdanner CB, et al. Characterization of apoptosis induced by photodynamic treatment with hypericin in A431 human epidermoid carcinoma cells. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2006;25(1-2):173-88. PMID: 16566716.
Pajonk F, Scholber J, Fiebich B. Hypericin-an inhibitor of proteasome function. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2005 May;55(5):439-46. PMID: 15672261.
Miskovsky P. Hypericin--a new antiviral and antitumor photosensitizer: mechanism of action and interaction with biological macromolecules. Curr Drug Targets. 2002 Feb;3(1):55-84. PMID: 11899265.
