Các thành phần photosensitizing chính của Hypericum perforatum, đã được đề xuất như là một photosensitizer điều trị ung thư quang động (Vandenbogaerde et al, 1988). Sự hiện diện của huyết thanh bào thai bê (FCS) hoặc albumin rộng rãi ức chế tác dụng | 116 Spiridon E. Kintzios et al. Figure Hypericum perforatum. Active ingredients Aromatic polycyclic diones pseudohypericin and hypericin . Documented target cancers Photodynamic cancer therapy human cancer cell lines breast colon lung melanoma antiretroviral. Further details Related compounds Pseudohypericin and hypericin the major photosensitizing constituents of Hypericum perforatum have been proposed as a photosensitizer for photodynamic cancer therapy Vandenbogaerde et al. 1988 . The presence of foetal calf serum FCS or albumin extensively inhibits the photocytotoxic effect of pseudohypericin against A431 tumor cells and is associated with a large decrease in cellular uptake of the compound. These results suggest that pseudohypericin in contrast to hypericin interacts strongly with constituents of FCS lowering its interaction with cells. Since pseudohypericin is two to three times more abundant in Hypericum than hypericin and the bioavailabilities of pseudohypericin and hypericin after oral administration are similar these results suggest that hypericin and not pseudohypericin is likely to be the constituent responsible for hypericism. Moreover the dramatic decrease of photosensitizing activity of pseudohypericin in the presence of serum may restrict its applicability in clinical situations. Terrestrial plant species with anticancer activity 117 Hexane extracts of Hypericum drummondii showed significant cytotoxic activity on cultured P-388 KB or human cancer cell lines breast colon lung melanoma Jayasuriya et al. 1989 . Other medical activity Hypericin and pseudohypericin have potent antiretroviral activity and are highly effective in preventing viral-induced manifestations that follow infections with a variety of retroviruses in vivo and in vitro Meruelo et al. 1988 . Pseudohypericin and hypericin probably interfere with viral infection and or spread by direct inactivation of the virus or by preventing virus shedding budding or assembly at the cell .
