Daily Archives: November 21, 2012
Υπερικό (Hypericum)
Hypericum olympicum
Hypericum balearicum
Hypericum coris
Hypericum epicoides
Hypericum inodorum
Hypericum olympicum
Slender St.John’s- wort,Hypericum pulchrum
Hypericum tomentosum
Hypericum uralum
Το Υπερικό (Hypericum) είναι γένος φυτών της οικογένειας των Clusiaceae,στο οποίο περιλαμβάνονται περίπου 150 είδη, ποώδη, θαμνώδη ή φρύγανα. Κυριότερα είδη είναι το Hypericum perforatum (Υπερικόν το διάτρητον, κοινώς βάλσαμο , βαλσαμόχορτο ή σπαθίδα) και το Hypericum perfoliatum (Υπερικόν το διαμπερές, κοινώς λειχηνόχορτο ή σταρίδα.
Το βαλσαμόχορτο είναι αειθαλές φυτό με ύψος περίπου ένα μέτρο και άνθη με έντονο κίτρινο χρώμα, τα οποία εμφανίζονται περίπου στα μέσα Ιουνίου. Είναι ενδημικό φυτό σε ολόκληρη σχεδόν την ευρωπαϊκή ήπειρο.
Χρήσεις
Το υπερικό ή βαλσαμόχορτο υπήρξε αντικείμενο της Ιατρικής από τα αρχαία χρόνια. Οι αρχαίοι Έλληνες το χρησιμοποιούσαν ως διουρητικό, επουλωτικό, εμμηναγωγό και αιμοστατικό.
Σήμερα στις ΗΠΑ και σε πολλές άλλες χώρες χρησιμοποιείται υπό μορφή χαπιών για την αντιμετώπιση της ήπιας και μέτριας κατάθλιψης. Χρησιμοποιείται, επίσης, ως αντισπασμωδικό και για την καταπολέμηση της αϋπνίας.
Εξωτερική χρήση:
Χρησιμοποιείται υπό μορφή βάμματος, αφού εκχυλισθεί το φρέσκο φυτό σε ελαιόλαδο μέσα σε γυάλινα βάζα καλά κλεισμένα, που μένουν στον ήλιο επί 40 ημέρες περίπου, ως επουλωτικό σε πληγές, ερεθισμούς και εγκαύματα πρώτου βαθμού.
Εσωτερική χρήση:
Σαν τσάι συνήθως ένα κουταλάκι του γλυκού ξερά τριμμένα φύλλα και άνθη σε μία κούπα καυτό νερό, που την σκεπάζουμε και την αφήνουμε σκεπασμένη για 10 με 15 λεπτά, για να περάσουν όλα τα συστατικά του φυτού στο νερό, από μία μέχρι τρεις φορές την ημέρα.
Σε κάψουλες ή χάπια.
Σε αλκοολούχο βάμμα.
Γενικές οδηγίες – προφυλάξεις:
Το υπερικό μπορεί να επηρεάσει το συκώτι προκαλώντας ευαισθησία του ατόμου στο φως. Στο δέρμα ορισμένων ατόμων μπορεί να προκαλέσει αντιδράσεις που εκδηλώνονται με δερματικούς ερεθισμούς,
Σύμφωνα με ορισμένους ερευνητές το υπερικό μπορεί να επηρεάσει το μεταβολισμό ορισμένων ενζύμων. Κατά συνέπεια, χρειάζεται προσοχή όταν χορηγείται ταυτόχρονα με άλλα φάρμακα ή και με ορισμένα τρόφιμα.
Hypericum
Hypericum is a genus of about 400 species of flowring plants in the family f Hypericaceae (formerly often considered a subfamily of Clusiaceae).
The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar-regions . All members of the genus may be referred to as St. John’s wort, though they are also commonly just called hypericum, and some are known as tutsan. The marsh St. John’s-worts are nowadays separated into the genus Triadenum.
St. John’s-worts vary from annual or perennial herbaceous herbs 5–10 cm tall to shrubs and small treest up to 12 m tall. The leaves l are opposite, simple oval, 1–8 cm long, either deciduous or evergreen. The flowers vary from pale to dark yellow, and from 0.5–6 cm in diameter, with five (rarely four) petals. The fruit is usually a dry capsule which splits to release the numerous small seeds; in some species it is fleshy and berry-like.
Uses of Hypericum
Some species are used as orgamental plants and have large, showy flowers. Numerous hybrids and cultiviars have been developed for use in horticulture , such as Hyrpericum moserianum (H.calycinum H.patulum) and Hypericum calycinum cv. ‘Hidcote’.
St. John’s-worts can occur as nuisance weeds in farmland and gardens. On pastures, some can be more than a nuisance, causing debilitating photosensitivity and sometimes abortion in livestockl. The beetles Chrysolina quandrigemina ,Chrysolina hyperici and the St.John’s- wort Root Borer (Agrilus hyperici) like to feed on Common St.John’s-wort (H. perforatum) and have been used for biocontol where the plant has become an invasive weed .
Hypericum species are the only known food plants of the caterpillar of the Treble- bar , a species of moth. Other Lepidoptera species whose larvae sometimes feed on Hypericum include Common Emerald ,The Engrailed (recorded on Imperforate St.John’s-wort , H. maculatum), Grey Pug and Seraceous Hebrew Character.
Medical properties
Common St. John’s -wort (H. perforatum) has long been used in herbalism . It was known to have medical properties in Classical Antiquity and was a standard component of theriacs, from the Mithridate ofAulus Cornelius Celcus ‘ De Medicina to the Venice treacle of d’Amsterdammer Apotheek in 1686. Folk usages included oily extract (“St. John’s oil”) and Hypericum snaps.
H. perforatum is the most potent species and it is today grown commercially for use in herbalism and medicine; other St. John’s-worts possess interesting properties and chemical compounds but are not well researched. As these secondary compounds appear to be related to deterring herbivores , they are present in varying and unpredictable quantities: still, a number of high-yield cultiviars have been developed.
Two main compounds of interest have been studied in more detail:hyperforin and hypericin . However, the pharmacology of H. perforatum is not resolved, and at least its antipresant properties are caused by a wide range of factors interacting. As psychiatric medication, it is usually taken as pills, or as tea. Few standardised preparations are available, and research has mainly studied alcoholic extracts and isolated compounds. What research data exists supports a noticeable effect in many cases of light and medium depression , but no significant improvement of severe depression.
Another common use of H. perforatum is as an oily extract: the ruby -red oil appears to be strongly antibiotic, assisting healing of wounds,first-degree burns and concussions. Both hypericin and hyperforin are reported to have antibiotic properties. Justifying this view with the then-current doctrine of signatures,herbalist William Coles (1626–1662) wrote in the 17th century that
“The little holes whereof the leaves of Saint Johns wort are full, doe resemble all the pores of the skin and therefore it is profitable for all hurts and wounds that can happen thereunto.”
There is evidence that St. John’s-worts can act as abortifacients since interference with the Combined oral contraceptive pill has occurred. Complications have also been observed in other human patients: high-dosage H. perforatum interacts with a wide range of medications due to activation of the Pragnane X reseptor detoxification pathway, as well as causing photosensitivity. It is strongly recommended not to take St. John’s-wort during pregnancy or when tanning, and it has caused a few deaths in patients undergoing anti-HIV/AIDS and cancer therapy. Extremely high doses (rarely reached with OTC preparations) are heparotoxic .Hypericum extract, by inducing both the CYP3A4 and the P-glycoprotein (P-gp), can reduce the plasma concentrations of different antineoplastic agents such as imatinib ,irinotecan and docetaxel , thus reducing the clinical efficacy of these drugs.
Hypericum perforatum may be capable of reducing the physical signs of opiate withdrawal.
Hypericum is a common treatment in homeopathy, used for the healing of deep wounds or as a relief from depression.
Hypericin
Hyperforin
Selected species
Hypericum acmosepalum
Hypericum acostanum
Hypericum addingtonii
Hypericum adenotrichum
Hypericum aegypticum
Hypericum calycinum cv. ‘Hidcote’
Hypericum canadense L. – Canadian St. John’s-wort, Irish St. John’s-wort
Hypericum perforatum cv. ‘Anthos’
Hypericum prietoi