Abstract
Objective:Hypericum perforatum (HP) is a herbal product used in the treatment of depression, but its harm on the fetus has not been established. This study investigated the effects of HP according to fetal clinical, morphologic, and histologic findings. Study design is an animal study.Materials and Methods:Fifty-four 4-5-month-old female Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control, 100 mg/kg HP, and 300 mg/kg HP. HP treatment using drinking water was started one week before mating and ended with the delivery of pups.Results:HP exposure before conception diminished the pregnancy rate and decreased the fetal number; during pregnancy it tended to increase the duration of gestation, and deteriorated the fetal development as determined using body weight. It also damaged liver and kidney tissues, most probably due to oxidative stress, as supported through inducible nitric oxide synthase antibody staining findings at both doses.Conclusion:HP should not be recommended to women who would like to be pregnant or are pregnant because it can be harmful for both fetal and maternal health.
Highlights
Hypericum perforatum (HP), of the Clusiaceae (Hypericeae=Guttiferae) family, belongs to the subfamily Hypericoideae[1,2,3,4]
This study investigated the effects of HP according to fetal clinical, morphologic, and histologic findings
The number of fetuses was six in the low-dose (100 mg/kg) group, three in the high-dose (300 mg/kg) group, and eight in the control group; the pregnancy rate decreased in a dosedependent manner (Table 1)
Summary
Hypericum perforatum (HP), of the Clusiaceae (Hypericeae=Guttiferae) family, belongs to the subfamily Hypericoideae[1,2,3,4]. Kahyaoğlu et al Hypericum perforatum and pregnancy received interest as a herbal product that has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, and is effective for wound healing, inflammatory bowel disease, and depression[1,5]. Depression is an important disease that affects the whole society at all ages and the incidence in pregnancy period is reported as 18-19%(6). It is known that the antidepressant activity of the plant (at doses of 900 mg/kg) is related to hypericin and its derivatives. It can be abused for believing well-being and well-feeling (Biggs et al[7] 2017). We aimed to investigate the embriotoxic/teratogenic effects of HP according to fetal clinical, morphologic, and histologic findings
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