St John's wort extract: an effective and well-tolerated antidepressant

St John's wort extract is becoming increasingly important in the treatment of patients with mild to moderately severe depressive episodes. Its efficacy has been confirmed by placebo- and reference-controlled, randomized clinical trials. Furthermore, its very good tolerability contributes to the quality of life of the patient and effects a high degree of acceptance. This present contribution reviews recent relevant data. it considers the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of the active ingredient against the background of treatment alternatives and takes into particular account recent evidence concerning the importance of the extract component hyperforin.