Table 3.
Clinical trials of St. John’s wort on skin diseases
| Disease | Extract/Compd. | Dosing & duration | Study design & sample size | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMS | Extract (hypericin 0.31% and hyperforin 3.0%) | 300 mg TDS; 12 weeks | A double-blind, single-center RCT; 39 patients (mean age of 64.9 ± 4.7 years) | No decrease in pain of BMS significantly | (80) |
| Episiotomy wounds | Ointments of Achillea millefolium and SJW2 | Rubbing 1 cm of the ointment on the area of episiotomy BID; 10 days | A double-blind clinical trial; 140 primiparous women (37–42 years) | ↓ Pain level, ↓ Redness edema ↓ Ecchymosis |
(75) |
| HSV-1 and HSV-2 lesions | Dynamiclear™3 | Dynamiclear QD; 2 weeks | A prospective, randomized, multi-centered, comparative, open-label trial; 149 patients (18–55 years) with active HSV-1 and HSV-2 lesions | ↓ Burning sensation and parameters of acute pain, erythema, and vesiculation compared with acyclovir No significant adverse effects and well tolerated |
(77) |
| Non-melanoma skin cancer | Topical application with hypericin4 | Topical use on the lesions, 10 mm of surrounding skin in a 1 mm thick layer under occlusive dressing; 6 weeks | A pilot study; 34 patients: 8 with AKs, 21 with basal cell carcinoma and 5 with Bowen’s disease (32–83 years) |
↑ Percentage of complete clinical response Partial remission in patients with nodular BCCs A complete disappearance of tumor cells |
(81) |
| Plaque-type psoriasis | Ointment: SJW (5% w/w), vaseline (84% w/w), propylene glycol (10% w/w) and avicel (1% w/w) | Ointment BID; 4 weeks | A pilot single-blind study; 10 patients (20–55 years) with mild plaque psoriasis | ↓ PASI significantly ↓ Erythema, scaling, and thickness |
(78) |
| Plaque-type psoriasis | Ointment5: SJW (5% w/w), vaseline (84% w/w), propylene glycol (10% w/w), and avicel (1% w/w)] | Using ointment BID; 4 weeks | A double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot study; 20 patients with mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis on both sides of the body (18–55 years) | ↓ Erythema, scaling, and thickness significantly ↓ TNFα concentrations in the dermis, endothelial cells, and dendrite cells significantly |
(79) |
| Scar of cesarean | Ointment1 | Ointment TID; 16 days | A double-blind RCT; 144 women with surgical childbirth (17–35 years) | ↓ Pain and pruritus significantly | (76) |
1 The hydro alcoholic condensate extracts packed with sterile Vaseline as the base (%5 weight ratio) in 30 gr tubes; 2 Topical formulation containing SJW, Calendula Officinalis, and copper sulfate; 3 The products contained pseudohypericin (67.5%) and hypericin (32.5%); 4 It was prepared from an extract of SJW (5% w/w), vaseline (84% w/w), propylene glycol (10% w/w), and avicel (1% w/w); 5 Oily extract provided by the Gol-Daru Company (Isfahan, Iran)
SJW: St John’s wort