decisions should be subject to laws confined to the interest of public health.The laws andregulations of the <strong>European</strong> Union should ideally be just- and not according to theeconomical interest of the pharmaceutical industry- but to protect the citizen, their safetyand their rights.<strong>Herbal</strong> medicine is the medicine of the people, has been for thousands of years and still is inlesser economically developed areas. Millions of people in the world depend solely on ruraland herbal medicine.To be fortunate enough to be born in more developed countries is no reason to give up, oreven have ruled out by law, the possibility to use, sell and buy perfectly safe and efficientherbal medicines.Janina Soerensen holds an MSc in phytochemistry & naturalproducts, specialising in essential oil chemistry, distillation andanalysis. In 1994 Janina helped establish a distillation plant,producing essential oils from wildcrafted herbs/plants gathered on theisland of Crete. Janina is in the final stages of study at the Danish Schoolof <strong>Herbal</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.References1 Her Majesty's Stationary Office, The Statutory Instrument No 1830, 19972 Blumenthal M., Ed. 1998. The Complete German Commission E Monographs pp 214-215.American Botanical Council, Boston, Massachusetts USA3 Schilling, W. 1969. Die Gattung <strong>Hypericum</strong> unter besonderer Berucksichtigung von<strong>Hypericum</strong> <strong>perforatum</strong> L. Praparative Pharmazie 5(8):125-1344 Thomas-Bradley C.J. 1992. Hypericin as a potential photosensitizer in photodynamictherapy of cancer. Diss Abstr Int [B] () 52(9):47155 Garret, B.J. et al. 1982. Consumption of poisonous plants (Seneco jacobaea, Symphytumofficinale, Pteridium aquilinum, <strong>Hypericum</strong> <strong>perforatum</strong>) by rats: Chronic toxicity, mineralmetabolism and hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes. Toxicology Letters 10:183-3886 Woelk H Burkard G Grunwald J 1994 . Benefits and risks of the hypericum extract LI 160:drug monitoring study with 3250 patients. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 7 Suppl 1:S34-87 Ernst E, Rand JI, Barnes J, Stevinson C 1998. Adverse effects profile of the herbalantidepressant St. John's wort (<strong>Hypericum</strong> <strong>perforatum</strong> L Eur J Clin Pharmacol 54(8):589-948 Vonsover A Steinbeck KA Rudich et al 1996. HIV-1 virus load in the serum of AIDSpatients undergoing long term therapy with hypericin. Int Conf AIDS (Jul 7-12) 11(1):120(abstract no. Mo.B.1377)9 Steinbeck-Klose A Wernet P 1993. Successful long term treatment over 40 months of HIVpatientswith intravenous Hypericin. Int Conf AIDS (Jun 6-11) 9(1):470 (abstract no. PO-B26-2012.10 Wichtl, M.1994. <strong>Herbal</strong> Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. p. 274. CRC Press Boca Raton,Ann Harbour, London, Tokyo.11 Mcauliffe V et al. 1993. A phase I dose escalation study of synthetic hypericin in HIVinfected patients. Natl Conf Hum Retroviruses Relat Infect (1st) ( 12-16):15912 Schempp CM, Winghofer B, Langheinrich M, Schopf E, Simon JC . 1999. Hypericin levelsin human serum and interstitial skin blister fluid after oral single-dose and steady-stateadministration of <strong>Hypericum</strong> <strong>perforatum</strong> extract. Skin Pharmacol Appl Skin Physiol Sep-12(5):299-30413 Bernd A, Simon S, Ramirez Bosca A et al. 1999. Phototoxic effects of <strong>Hypericum</strong> extractin cultures of human keratinocytes compared with those of psoralen. Photochem Photobiol69(2):218-21.14 Vandenbogaerde AL et al. 1998. Photocytotoxic effect of pseudohypericin versushypericin . J Photochem Photobiol B 45(2-3):87-9415 Wichtl, 1994 as above16 Blumenthal, 1999 as above17. Weiss, R.E. Lehrbuch der Phytotherapie, 7 th Ed.pp. 366-369, 1990. Hippokrates Verlag.Stuttgart, Germany.18 British <strong>Herbal</strong> Pharmacopoeia 1983, p.116, 1995. British <strong>Herbal</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> Association,Bournemouth UK.
19 Vandenbogaerde A. L., Els M., Vantieghem A.M. et al. 1998. Cytotoxicity andAntiproliferative Effect of Hypericin and Derivatives after Photosensitization. PhotochemPhotobiol 67: 11920 Roberts J. Ozone depletion - occular effect of enhanched UVB, 1998. Abstract, 27 thAnnual Meeting of the American Society for Photobiology, July 10-15, Washington D.C. USA.21 Thomas-Bradley C.J. 1992 as above22 Suzuki O. et al. 1984. Inhibition of monoamine oxidase by hypericin. Planta Med. 42:272-7423 Josey ES, Tackett RL 1999 St. John's wort: a new alternative for depression. Int J ClinPharmacol Ther 37(3):111-924 Bladt S and Wagner H. 1994. Inhibition of MAO by fractions and constituents ofhypericum extract. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 7 Suppl 1:S57-925 Thiede HM, Walper A. 1994. Inhibition of MAO and COMT by hypericum extracts andhypericin. . J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 7 Suppl 1:S54-626 Perovic S and Muller WE. 1995. Pharmacological profile of hypericum extract. Effect onserotonin uptake by postsynaptic receptors. Arzneimittelforschung 45(11):1145-827 Chatterjee SS, Bhattacharya SK, Wonnemann M et al. 1998. Hyperforin as a possibleantidepressant component of hypericum extracts . Life Sci;63(6):499-51028 Muller WE, Singer A, Wonnemann M et al. 1998. Hyperforin represents theneurotransmitter reuptake inhibiting constituent of hypericum extract. Pharmacopsychiatry31 Suppl 1:16-2129 Baureithel KH, Buter KB, Engesser A, et al. 1997. Inhibition of benzodiazepine binding invitro by amentoflavone, a constituent of various species of <strong>Hypericum</strong>. Pharm Acta Helv72(3):153-730 Raffa RB 1998. Screen of receptor and uptake-site activity of hypericin component of St.John's wort reveals sigma receptor binding. Life Sci 1998;62(16):PL265-7031 Singer A, Wonnemann M, Muller WE 1999. Hyperforin, a major antidepressantconstituent of St. John's Wort, inhibits serotonin uptake by elevating free intracellular Na+1.J Pharmacol Exp Ther ;290(3):1363-832 Kleber E, Obry T, Hippeli S et al. 1999. Biochemical activities of extracts from <strong>Hypericum</strong><strong>perforatum</strong> L. 1st Communication: inhibition of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase .Arzneimittelforschung ;49(2):106-933 Denke A, Schneider W, Elstner EF 1999. Biochemical activities of extracts from<strong>Hypericum</strong> <strong>perforatum</strong> L. 2nd Communication: inhibition of metenkephaline- and tyrosinedimerization.Arzneimittelforschung 49(2):109-1434 Simmen U, Burkard W, Berger K, et al. 1999. Extracts and constituents of <strong>Hypericum</strong><strong>perforatum</strong> inhibit the binding of various ligands to recombinant receptors expressed withthe Semliki Forest virus system. J Recept Signal Transduct Res;19(1-4):59-74
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