St. John's Wort Extract--John's wort extract Latin Name---Herb Hyperici Perforati. Appearance---Brown Powder Test Method---UV Part of the Plant Used---The whole grass wounded in action of Hypericum Perforatum Extract Method---Supercritical CO2 extracts Applicable field---Medical trade, Health product trade, antioxidant Assay---Hypericin ¡Ý0.3% Naringin ¡Ý98% Heavy Meta---<10ppm As---<1ppm Pb---<1ppm Hg---<1ppm Cd---<1ppm Ni---<1ppm Total Plate Count---<1000cfu/g Yeast & Mold---<100cfu/g Loss on Drying---<2% E. Coli---Negative Pesticides--- Negative Salmonella---Negative Active material---Hypericin Naringin Molecular Formula---C30H16O8 Molecular Weight---504.43 Melting point---79-80¡ãC Packing---5 kilograms/ Aluminium foil bag 25 kilograms/ Cardboard barrel Particle size---90% pass 80 mesh Shelf Life---24-36 Months

St. John's Wort has a complex and diverse chemical make-up. Hypericin and pseudohypericin are believed to have antidepressive and antiviral properties. Other constituents, such as xanthones and flavonoids, may also contribute to the medicinal actions of St. John's Wort. The following are the active constituents:

Essential oil, containing caryophyllene, methyl-2-octane, n-nonane, n-octanal, n-decanal, a- and b-pinene, and traces of limonene and myrcene
Hypericins, prenylated phloroglucin derivatives; hypericin, pseudohypericin and hyperforin
Miscellaneous; flavonoids, () and (-) - epicatechin.
Hypericum extract contains numerous active compounds that together create the antidepressant and antianxiety effects. Hypericum is the first known substance to enhance three key neurotransmitters- serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Preliminary research suggests that St. John's Wort also lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and enhances the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a naturally occurring tranquilizer in the brain. It is a very mild, clinically insignificant monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. 

The mechanism by which St. John's Wort acts as an antidepressant is not fully understood. Early research indicated that this herb mildly inhibits the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO). MAO is responsible for the breakdown of two brain chemicals - serotonin and norepinephrine. By inhibiting MAO and increasing norepinephrine, St. John's Wort may exert a mild antidepressive action. The antidepressant or mood elevating effects of St. John's Wort were originally thought to be due solely to hypericin, but hypericin does not act alone. St. John's Wort relies on the complex interplay of many constituents such as xanthones and flavonoids for its antidepressant actions. St. John's Wort may also block the receptors that bind serotonin.