Uso da Erva de São João (Hypericum perforatum) no tratamento da depressão : uma revisão de literatura

Abstract

Depression is a psychological disorder that has a negative impact on many aspects of the lives of millions of people around the world. The diversity of symptoms presented by the disease, together with the damage to health and social well-being, highlight the crucial importance of seeking effective interventions. Adherence to conventional pharmacological treatments often faces significant obstacles due to associated side effects. Therefore, the search for more effective and tolerable therapeutic approaches becomes a priority in the treatment of depression. In this context, Hypericum perforatum, also known as St. John's wort, appears as a promising alternative in the treatment of depression. The objective of this literature review was to investigate the efficacy and safety of Hypericum perforatum in its therapeutic use in the treatment of depression, using the HAM-D and ICG scale presented in the studies as a measure. To collect data and information, sources such as PubMed, Google Scholar and CAPES Periodicals were used. The unitized keywords were: Hypericum perforatum, depression, antidepressants, herbal medicine, adverse effects, efficacy, St. John's wort and herbal medicines, with their corresponding translations in English. The research period took place between October and November 2023, there were no restrictions regarding language or publication date. The search prioritized clinical studies in humans, resulting in the selection of 13 articles that aligned with the keywords and objectives of the study. The analysis of the selected studies revealed that the use of Hypericum perforatum extracts demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate depression in 12 studies that used the HAM-D scale, bringing an average reduction of 47.4% in the average scale score and 1 study bringing evolution in ICG from 21.6 to 72.4% in the number of normal to mildly ill people. The studies also revealed that extracts have the advantage of having fewer side effects compared to traditional antidepressants.