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Pharmacopsychiatry 2001; 34(Suppl1): 61-69
DOI: 10.1055/s-2001-15451
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Hypericum Extract and Hyperforin:
Memory-Enhancing Properties in Rodents

V. Klusa1 , S. Germane2 , M. Nöldner3 , S. S. Chatterjee3
  • 1Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
  • 2Laboratory of Pharmacology, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia
  • 3Department of Pharmacology, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co., Karlsruhe, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
31 December 2001 (online)

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Effects of a Hypericum extract in therapeutic use and hyperforin sodium salt were evaluated in rat and mouse avoidance tests. In a conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test on the rat, oral daily administration of hyperforin (1.25 mg/kg/day) or of the extract (50 mg/kg/day) before the training sessions considerably improved learning ability from the second day onwards until the day 7. In addition, the memory of the learned responses acquired during 7 consecutive days of administration and training was largely retained even after 9 days without further treatment or training. The observations made using different doses indicate that these learning-facilitating and/or memory-consolidating effects by the agents follow inverse U-shaped dose-response curves in dose ranges lower than (for hyperforin) or equal to (for Hypericum extract) their effective dose in the behavioral despair test for antidepressants. In a passive avoidance response test on the mouse, a single oral dose (1.25 mg/kg) of hyperforin not only improved memory acquisition and consolidation, but also almost completely reversed scopolamine-induced amnesia. The single Hypericum extract dose tested (25 mg/kg) did not reveal any significant effects in the passive avoidance response (PAR) test on the mouse. These observations suggest that the Hypericum extract could be a novel type of antidepressant with memory enhancing properties, and indicate that hyperforin is involved in its cognitive effects. Pure hyperforin seems to be a more potent antidementia agent than an antidepressant.

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Dr. V. Klusa

University of Latvia
Faculty of Medicine

Sarlotes st. 1A

LV-1001 Riga

Latvia

Email: vijaklus@acad.latnet.lv

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