Table 2.
Clinical trials of St. John’s wort on endocrine disorders
| Disease/Activity | Extract/Compd. | Dosing & Duration | Study Design & Sample Size | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androgenic steroid hormones | Kira® | 300 mg TID; 2 weeks | An open-label crossover study; 12 volunteers (22–38 years) with a normal weight (72.9 ± 19.1 kg) | ↓ 5α-reduced steroids levels ↑ Testosterone to DHT ratio |
(69) |
| Endocrinological effects | WS® 5570 | Several dosages (600, 900, and 1,200 mg); 4 different days | A single-blind study; 12 healthy male volunteers (26–41 years) | ↑ ACTH No change in cortisol and prolactin |
(70) |
| Menopausal symptoms |
Perforan®1 | One tablet TID; 8 weeks | A double-blind RCT; 80 postmenopausal women (45–60 years) | ↓ Frequency and intensity of hot flashes ↓ Score of the Kupperman scale significantly ↓ Intensity of depression significantly |
(64) |
| Menopausal symptoms |
Tablet of SJW2 | 3 tablets TID; 16 weeks | A double-blind parallel RCT; 100 postmenopausal women (40–60 years) | No significant differences for daily weighted flushes or scores No significant change in the quality of life |
(71) |
| Menopausal symptoms | Effervescent tablet of SJW and Pass P® drop of Passion Flower | 160 mg effervescent tablet TID and 10 drops TID and 20 drops before sleep; 6 weeks | Clinical-experimental; 59 women who were in their first 5-year period of menopause | ↓ Average score of menopause symptoms significantly | (72) |
| PCOS | Tablet 1: a combination of Glycyrrhiza glabra, Paeonia lactiflora, and Cinnamomum Tablet 2: Tribulus terrestris extract equivalent to 13.5 g aerial parts |
Three tablet QD; Tablet 2: three tablets QD for 10 consecutive days commenced on menstrual cycle day 5 for oligomenorrhoeic women and within 1 week of trial commencement for women with amenorrhoea; 12 weeks |
RCT; 122 women with PCOS (45–55 years) | Significant improvements in BMI, blood pressure, insulin, LH, anxiety, quality of life, stress, depression, and pregnancy rates | (68) |
| PMS | LI160 | Tablets 900 mg QD; two menstrual cycles | A double-blind crossover RCT; 36 patients (18–45 years) with regular menstrual cycles with mild PMS | ↑ Physical and behavioral PMS symptoms improvement No significant effects compared with placebo for mood- and pain-related PMS symptoms |
(65) |
| PMS | Pills of SJW3 | 600 mg QD; 6 weeks | A double-blind RCT; 51 single women | No significant differences in BDI, VAS, or total PAF ↑ Emotional lability, hostility/anger, and impulsivity scores significantly |
(73) |
| PMS | 680-μg hypericin | 2 tablets QD; 8 weeks | A double-blind RCT; 170 women with PMS (for at least 6 months) | ↓ PMS scores compared with baseline and the control groups ↓ Crying (71%) and depression (52%) scores |
(66) |
| Premenopausal syndrome | Ethanol extract | 900 mg TID; 12 weeks | A pilot double-blind, randomized trial; 106 premenopausal women of whom 47 completed the study (40-65 years) | ↑ Menopause-specific quality of life ↓ Sleep problems Non-significant difference in the daily hot flash frequency |
(74) |
| Premenopausal syndrome | Hypiran® drop4 | 20 drops TID; 8 weeks | A double-blind RCT; 100 women experiencing hot flashes (45-55 years) | ↓ Severity of flashes | (67) |
1 A tablet from an Iranian drug company that contains 270–330 μg of SJW; 2 Each tablet contained 300 mg extract equivalent to 1,800 mg dry herb flowering top standardized to contain 990 µg of hypericin, 9 mg of hyperforin, and 18 mg of flavonoid glycosides; 3 Each pill contained 0.3% hypericin and 3% hyperforin; 4 The St John’s wort drops contained 0.2 mg/ml hypericin
SJW: St John’s wort