Звіробій

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. The plant is a hairless, perennial herb with woody roots, yellow flowers marked by black glands, and leaves that appear perforated due to translucent glands. The species is probably a hybrid of the closely related H. attenuatum and H. maculatum that originated in Siberia, and it has spread worldwide. As a medicinal plant it has both historical and contemporary use, particularly for mild to moderate depression.

In healthy H. perforatum plants the essential oil content is highest at full bloom, at 0.35%, against 0.12% before bloom and 0.18% at fruiting. Typical essential oil constituents of the species include the monoterpenes α- and β-pinene, limonene and myrcene, and the sesquiterpenes β-caryophyllene and caryophyllene oxide. The most common active chemicals in the plant are hypericin and pseudohypericin, which are naphthodianthrones, and hyperforin, a phloroglucinol derivative. Hypericin is a red-colored, photosensitive compound. Hyperforin accumulates in oil glands, pistils and fruits, probably as a plant defensive compound. Hyperforin is unstable in the presence of light and oxygen.

The common name St John's wort comes from the fact that its flowers and buds were commonly harvested at the time of the Midsummer festival, later Christianized as St John's Feast Day on 24 June. The herb was used in classical antiquity and was a standard component of the ancient concoctions called theriacs. H. perforatum generally produces a variety of yellows suitable for dyeing.

The taste of the plant is bitter and acrid. The genus name Hypericum possibly comes from the Greek words hyper, above, and eikon, picture, after the tradition of hanging the plant over religious icons in the home. Because the plant was thought to ward off spirits, it was also called fuga daemonum, loosely "demon-flight".

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