St. John's wort
St. John's wort is Hypericum perforatum, a perennial harvested in flower in Europe, China and South America. The ingredient is the dried flowering herb top, sold cut or powdered, and as dry hydroalcoholic extracts standardized to hypericins and sometimes hyperforin. Fresh flowers are also macerated in vegetable oil to make a red infused oil used in topical products.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dry extract sold on total hypericins (commonly around 0.3%) and sometimes hyperforin; the method changes the result.
Milled dried flowering tops; not standardized.
Dried, cut herb for tea.
Fresh flowers macerated in olive or sunflower oil, used in topical products.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Keep the extract sealed, cool and in light-blocking packaging; hypericins are light sensitive and hyperforin breaks down with oxygen and heat. Limit headspace and time open. Shelf life or retest date comes from the supplier.
Marker levels and adulteration risk vary widely by supplier and lot. Keep each lot's COA with the assay method, and record origin and supplier lot.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 172.510 lists St. Johnswort leaves, flowers and caulis (Hypericum perforatum L.) as a natural flavoring substance limited to hypericin-free alcohol distillate form and to alcoholic beverages only.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's natural health product monograph for St. John's wort (oral) lists the dried herb top of Hypericum perforatum as the source material.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00420) lists the flowers and leaves of Hypericum perforatum as not novel in food and other aerial parts as not novel in food supplements.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Mollet del Vallès, Spain
Euromed is a Spanish producer of standardized botanical extracts for pharmaceutical, supplement, food and cosmetic companies, with plants near Barcelona and in Murcia. It is part of the Dermapharm Group.
Manufacturer · Changsha, China
Hunan Nutramax is a plant extract producer in Changsha, China, best known for monk fruit (luo han guo), stevia and sweet tea extracts, that also offers a range of herbal extracts.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include standardized extract, herb top powder, cut herb and infused oil. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity (HPTLC), hypericins (HPLC or UV), hyperforin (HPLC), dye adulteration screen and heavy metals and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Keep the extract sealed, cool and in light-blocking packaging; hypericins are light sensitive and hyperforin breaks down with oxygen and heat. Limit headspace and time open. Shelf life or retest date comes from the supplier.
21 CFR 172.510 lists St. Johnswort leaves, flowers and caulis (Hypericum perforatum L.) as a natural flavoring substance limited to hypericin-free alcohol distillate form and to alcoholic beverages only. Health Canada's natural health product monograph for St. John's wort (oral) lists the dried herb top of Hypericum perforatum as the source material. The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00420) lists the flowers and leaves of Hypericum perforatum as not novel in food and other aerial parts as not novel in food supplements.
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