Safety Data on Hypericum perforatum L. products: Phenolic profiles, antioxidant activity, and trace element assessment

Abstract

The use of plants for medicinal purposes, dating back to primitive healthcare practices, has evolved into traditional medicine, with significant growth in the herbal medicine market globally. Despite the widespread use of herbal products, especially in developing countries, concerns about their safety and quality persist. Issues like contamination with pathogens and heavy metals, and adulteration with cheaper substances, pose risks to human health. The quality of herbal medicines is influenced by factors like growth conditions, harvesting methods, and processing. Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort), known for its antidepressant properties, is a popular herbal medicine. This study aims to provide safety data on H. perforatum products in T & uuml;rkiye by analyzing the phenolic substance profiles, total phenolic content, antioxidant status, and heavy metal and mineral amounts in preparations from five different brands which were purchased randomly from pharmacies and herbalists using LC-HR/MS, DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay, Folin-Ciocalteu method, Total Antioxidant Status (TAS), Total Oxidant Status (TOS), Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) methods, and ICP-OES. The analysis of H. perforatum samples (H5 and H2) for TAS, TOS, OSI, DPPH radical scavenging, and total phenolic content revealed significant differences in trace elements. H5 showed high antioxidant and radical scavenging activities, with notably high iron levels, while H2, with lower antioxidant but high phenolic content, had elevated zinc and copper levels. These findings suggest a link between trace elements and phytotherapeutic effects. With the increasing use of herbal products, this study underscores the growing need for stringent quality control in herbal medicine, particularly in commercially available H. perforatum products.