Efficacy of Echinacea and St. John's Wort

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the recent reports regarding the appearance of antibiotic resistant bacteria which has resulted in the alternative medicine field to gain popularity with both the general public and physicians. This growing trend in seeking therapies outside of the mainstream has resulted in the increased research of various alternative therapies. The use of herbs for therapeutic purposes continues to be on the rise, calling for the development of safety and efficacy measures to ensure their appropriate use. This paper details the benefits and available research on both Echinacea and St. John's Wort. Echinacea is a North American cone-flower that has become America's most popular herbal medicine. Typically used by Native Americans to treat upper respiratory infections, it continues to be used today as supportive therapy for colds and chronic infections of the respiratory tract. St. John's Wort, scientifically known as hypericum perforatum, is a common bright-yellow wildflower. Presently it is the number one drug for mild to moderate depression, its use is based on results from many solid and stringent clinical trials.

From the Paper:

"The development of Prozac as an alternative to MAOIs signaled another possibility. Prozac prevents levels of monoamines, particularly serotonin, from going down by inhibiting the cellular receptors that would allow their uptake into the cells. Investigators have analyzed Hypericum preparations for their ability to act as a serotonin uptake inhibitor, and have found that the herb behaves more like Prozac than MAOIs. A recently published study tested a widely used German preparation of Hypericum, IL160, on astrocyte cells. These cells regulate the levels of neurotransmitters by regulating their uptake. The results showed an inhibition of serotonin and norepinephrine uptake fully dependent on the dosage of LI160 used. There was a 50% reduction of serotonin uptake and a 4.5 fold reduction of norepinephrine uptake."

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