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 efficac y has been confirmed by placebo- and reference-controlled, randomized clini cal trials. Furthermore, its very good tolerability contributes to the qual ity of life of the patient and effects a high degree of acceptance. This pr esent contribution reviews recent relevant data. it considers the pharmacol ogical and therapeutic properties of the active ingredient against the back ground of treatment alternatives and takes into particular account recent e vidence concerning the importance of the extract component hyperforin.