International journal of environmental research and public health
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Dec 2008
Cytological and biochemical effects of St. John's Wort supplement (a complex mixture of St. John's Wort, Rosemary and Spirulina) on somatic and germ cells of Swiss Albino mice.
Commercially available St. John's wort supplement (SJWS) composed of an herbal mixture of St. John's Wort (SJW), Rosemary (RM) and Spirulina (SP) is used as a dietary supplement for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. ⋯ These changes might be attributed to the epigenetic mechanisms as revealed by an increase in concentrations of MDA and depletion of nucleic acids and NP-SH levels in both hepatic and testicular cells observed in the present study. Since, the samples of SJWS used were not drawn from extremities of light and temperature; the observed effect might not be related to the main constituents of SJW. However, these changes might be ascribed to the combined effect of terpenes, tannins, quercetin and flavonoids present in SJW.