St. John's Wort: ethnobotanical uses and ecological impacts

¶ … ETHNOBOTANY (Biology Class).

John's Wort

John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is increasingly used as a natural way of treating mild to moderate depression. "Hypericum has a thymoleptic action which results in an improved sense of well-being. It has long been used as a nerve healer in melancholic conditions, depression, exhaustion and convalescence. It is also used to treat conditions where there is a degree of overtension, such as insomnia, cramps and colic of the viscera and uterus, epilepsy, diarrhoea, and enuresis in children" (Haughton 2014). Although it has been used in many different ways in the past as an all-natural remedy, today it is primarily used as a mood enhancer. The effect is mild and the supplement must be taken consistently over time for the individual to feel its benefits.

St. John's Wort must be taken with some caution: although overdoses are rare, it can negatively interact with a number of prescription medications, including birth control pills. It also has photosensitizing properties -- i.e., those that use it become more sensitive to sunlight. For humans using the drug in moderate doses this is not usually a problem, although there are reports of livestock who have consumed the flower in mass quantities to be negatively affected because of this side effect.

St. John's Wort is a perennial and the "erect, upright stems bear two raised lines along their length and branch out in the upper parts. The opposite, sessile leaves are ovate to linear and covered with numerous translucent dots, the oil glands. The margins are entire and skirted with black dots (Morgenstern 2002). Its most notable feature is its yellow flowers. The five-petaled yellow flowers which stain red when squeezed against the skin (Morgenstern 2002). Only the flowers are used to make the oil from which the plant derives its potency

Plant species

St. John's Wort is a flowering plant that grows widely in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In the U.S., it is most commonly found in the seven states spanning between Minnesota and Central Texas (Sheehan 2012). St. John's Wort is often characterized as invasive as a weed: it is an 'introduced' species to the Americas and has few natural predators. "Although the plant invades disturbed areas it does not easily invade natural areas. It tends to form dense colonies that crowd-out native plants" (Sheehan 2012). St. John's Wort can reproduce sexually and asexually which further increases its ability to spread quickly and easily throughout the region.

History of introduction

In indigenous culture St. John's Wort was known by the Menomini tribe as "meti'komin apu'kwa" which means "taste of the woodenberry (or acorn)" (Smith n.d.). It was often given to sufferers to treat diseases of the lungs and was thought that if taken by people with tuberculosis ('consumption') at the first signs of the disease, it could provide a cure. In combination with blackcap raspberry root, it was used as a diuretic for kidney disease. It was also used as a laxative and an expectorant (to induce vomiting) (Smith n.d.)

The Cherokee used St. John's Wort, along with other herbs as an abortifacient as well as to settle the stomach and topically to rub on sores. They even "sniffed the crushed plant for nosebleed; and the root was used in poultice" (Sheehan 2012). The Iroquois, in contrast, used St. John's Wort as a fever remedy and to prevent sterility (Sheehan 2012).

St. John's Wort has been well-known in Western, European culture for some time. "The name Hypericum was given by the Greeks to a plant which was placed above religious figures to ward off evil spirits. The common name, St. John's Wort, is believed to come from the fact that its yellow petals 'bleed' when crushed and that it flowers around the 24th of June, the date on which St. John the Baptist was beheaded" (Haughton 2014). During the crusades, it was said to be used to treat wounds of the fallen Christians and because of its yellow hue was used to "to treat jaundice and 'choleric' humours" (Haughton 2014).

The plant has been relatively slow to spread throughout the U.S. "Although St. Johnswort has been reported in the United States since the 1800s, it did not spread to the western United States until the early 1900s" (Sheehan 2012). However, when it does spread can be extremely difficult to eradicate and thus has been the target of control efforts. "Since the 1940s, biological control efforts have used Klamath weed beetles (Chrysolina quadrigemina), and (Chrysolina hyperici), St. Johnwort root borer (Agrilus hyperici), and the St. Johnwort midge" but these insects have not reproduced enough in abundance to fully contain the spread of the plant (Sheehan 2012).

Discussion

Depression has only recently been labeled an illness treatable with medication yet the condition has proven difficult and elusive to treat, even with the recent advances in modern psychopharmacology. While much of the past uses of St. John's Wort have been superseded by modern medicine by other forms of analgesics and treatments for stomach conditions and fertility issues, its use as a treatment for depression has grown more rather than less widespread.

Concerns remain, however, about the use of St. John's Wort because of its interactions with other medications. Because it has a similar effect upon the neurotransmitter serotonin as many popular antidepressants such as Prozac, combining use with St. John's Wort and these remedies can be dangerous. "St. John's Wort may interact with medications used to treat depression or other mood disorders, including tricyclic antidepressants, SSRIs, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Taking St. John's Wort with these medications tends to increase side effects, and could potentially lead to a dangerous condition called serotonin syndrome" (Ehrlich 2007).

St. John's Wort can also interfere with the effectiveness of many medications, including birth control pills because of its effects on estrogen (ABC News, 2002). "There have been reports of breakthrough bleeding in women on birth control pills who were also taking St. John's Wort, and it is possible that the herb might interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills, leading to unplanned pregnancies" (Ehrlich 2007). Other medications it can reduce the effectiveness of include allergy medications, anti-coagulants, and immune suppressant drugs. The concern is because St. John's Wort can be so easily bought over-the-counter, it may be taken in a careless fashion by people who do not fully appreciate the seriousness of its potential side effects.