hypericum and Alcoholism

Substance abuse and dependence is a serious problem throughout the world. The development of several types of dependence remedies has medical, social and economical significance. In particular, alcohol and tobacco are the most commonly abused substances worldwide. An extract of Hypericum perforatum L. (HPE) displayed a clear antidepressant action and it has been used for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Recent reports imply that HPE may be effective in the treatment of substance abuse. Studies have focused on alcohol and nicotine dependence. In this review, the effects of HPE on substance dependence and its possible benefit have been discussed in the light of current literature.

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Humans; Hypericum; Plant Extracts; Smoking; Smoking Prevention; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders

Alcoholism is a serious problem throughout the world. The development of alcoholism remedies have medical, social and economical significance. In view of the pitfalls of psychological dependence and adverse behavioural effects of synthetic drugs, the development of low toxicity and high efficiency medicines derived from natural products exhibits expansive market prospects. Based on these considerations, we summarize briefly folk application of traditional hangover remedies and clinical application of herbal complex and patent medicines for alcoholism treatment. We have reviewed the effects of natural medicines on intake, absorption and metabolism of alcohol, as well as the protective effects on alcohol-induced acute and chronic tissue injury.

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Asia; Clinical Trials as Topic; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Ethanol; Flavonols; Herbal Medicine; Humans; Hypericum; Ibogaine; Medicine, Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Preparations; Protective Agents; Pueraria; Rats; Salvia miltiorrhiza; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome

Topics: Alcoholism; Antidepressive Agents; Depression; Drug Interactions; Humans; Hypericum; Neoplasms; Phytotherapy; Somatoform Disorders; Wound Healing

The present review summarizes the findings of the effects of extracts of purified compounds from several plants on alcohol intake in alcohol-preferring rats. These include St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum, HPE), kudzu (Pueraria lobata) and ibogaine (Tabernanthe iboga). Alcohol-preferring (P), Marchigian Sardinian (msP), high-alcohol-drinking (HAD), Fawn-Hooded (FH) rats were allowed to drink alcohol or water voluntarily to establish baseline levels. Pure compounds (puerarin, daidzin, daidzein or analogs) isolated from kudzu, extracts from HPE or ibogaine and its analog were given by either intraperitoneal or oral administration. After acute administration, all agents dose-dependently reduced alcohol intake with minimal effects on food intake. Puerarin and HPE were also effective following chronic treatment. Overall, it is clear that pure compounds (daidzin, puerarin), extracts from St. John's wort, ibogaine and an ibogaine analog suppress alcohol intake in animal models of excessive drinking with minimal effects on other appetitive behaviors. Although the true mechanisms of action of these compounds on alcohol intake are not fully understood, with the current information, it appears that these compounds exert their effects by modulating several neuronal systems implicated in drinking behavior. However, their role in the future of pharmacotherapy for alcoholism will depend upon the outcome of carefully conducted clinical trials.

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Humans; Hypericum; Ibogaine; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Pueraria

The present paper briefly reviews the most relevant experimental data on the reducing effect of some medicinal herbs on voluntary alcohol intake in animal models of alcoholism. Pueraria lobata, Tabernanthe iboga, Panax ginseng, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Hypericum perforatum proved to be effective in decreasing alcohol consumption. Reduction of alcohol absorption from the gastrointestinal system appears to be a common feature among most of the above plants. These data suggest that medicinal plants may constitute novel and effective pharmacotherapies for alcoholism.

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Antidepressive Agents; Disease Models, Animal; Humans; Hypericum; Panax; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Roots; Plants, Medicinal; Pueraria; Rats; Salvia; Tabernaemontana

This review summarizes the findings of the effects on alcohol intake in alcohol-preferring rats of extracts or purified compounds from two of the most promising herbs: kudzu (Pueraria lobata) and St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum). It is a summary of a symposium presented at the 2002 RSA meeting in San Francisco. The meeting organizers/co-chairs were David Overstreet and Wing-Ming Keung. The presentations were (1) Introduction to the symposium, by David Y. W. Lee and David H. Overstreet; (2) Effects of daidzin on alcohol intake-search for mechanisms of action, by Wing-Ming Keung; (3) Long-term suppressive effects of puerarin on alcohol drinking in rats, by David Overstreet and David Y. W. Lee; (4) St. John's Wort extract reduces alcohol intake in FH and P rats, by Amir Rezvani and David Overstreet; and (5) extracts reduce alcohol intake in Marchigian Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats, by Maurizio Massi.

Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholism; Animals; Humans; Hypericum; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Pueraria; Rats

Clinical evidence suggests that hypericum extracts (Hypericum perforatum L., St. John's wort) have antidepressive properties and may offer an interesting alternative for the treatment of mood disorders. In addition, hypericum extracts, as well as standard antidepressants such as the tricyclic, impramine, and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine, have been reported to be of therapeutic benefit in the treatment of alcoholism, as these compounds may reduce alcohol craving and/or intake in particular subgroups of patients. It was the aim of the present study to compare the effects of hypericum extracts with those of imipramine and fluoxetine in the rat forced swimming test (RFST), a model of depression, as well as in cAA rats, a genetic model of alcoholism. In the RFST, triple i.p. administration of imipramine (3-30 mg/kg) and fluoxetine (3-30 mg/kg) induced a dose-dependent reduction in immobility: the minimal effective dose (MED) being 30 and 10 mg/kg, and the maximal effect being 50% and 57% immobility reduction, for imipramine and fluoxetine, respectively. In this test, the hypericum extracts Ze 117 (Remotiv) and LI 160 (Jarsin) also induced a statistically significant reduction of immobility when administered under the same application schedule (5-40 mg/kg, i.p., triple application). In the case of the hypericum extracts the dose-response relationship was inverted U-shaped with a MED value of 20 mg/kg and a maximal effect of 41% and 32% immobility reduction, for Ze 117 and LI 160, respectively. Interestingly, the anti-immobility effects tended to be more pronounced after subacute (1 week, B.I.D.) treatment with 10 mg/kg of imipramine, fluoxetine, or Ze 117, as compared with acute treatment. This phenomenon is in accordance with clinical experience and suggests that repeated treatment is required for full development of antidepressive effects. In the alcohol-preferring cAA rats, acute i.p. administration of imipramine (3-30 mg/kg), fluoxetine (1-10 mg/kg) and Ze 117 (10-40 mg/kg) dose-dependently reduced alcohol intake in a 12-h limited access two-bottle [ethanol 10% (v/v) versus water] choice procedure: with MED values of 30, 5 and 20 mg/kg, respectively. The anti-alcohol effects of fluoxetine and Ze 1-17 appeared to be specific, as reductions in alcohol intake coincided with reductions in alcohol preference. The present study suggests that hypericum extracts have antidepressant-like properties which resemble those of clinically establi

Topics: Alcoholism; Animals; Antidepressive Agents; Depression; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; Fluoxetine; Hypericum; Imipramine; Male; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Rats; Rats, Wistar