title: Quality control of Hypericum perforatum L. analytical challenges and recent progress.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The most widely applied qualitative and quantitative analytical methods in the quality control of Hypericum perforatum extracts will be reviewed, including routine analytical tools and most modern approaches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biologically active components of H. perforatum are chemically diverse; therefore, different chromatographic and detection methods are required for the comprehensive analysis of St. John's wort extracts. Naphthodianthrones, phloroglucinols and flavonoids are the most widely analysed metabolites of this plant. For routine quality control, detection of major compounds belonging to these groups seems to be sufficient; however, closer characterization requires the detection of minor compounds as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TLC and HPTLC are basic methods in the routine analysis, whereas HPLC-DAD is the most widely applied method for quantitative analysis due to its versatility. LC-MS is gaining importance in pharmacokinetic studies due to its sensitivity. Modern approaches, such as DNA barcoding, NIRS and NMR metabolomics, may offer new possibilities for the more detailed characterization of secondary metabolite profile of H. perforatum extracts.
authors.affiliation: Research Cluster "Biodiversity and Medicines" , Research Group "Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy" , UCL School of Pharmacy , University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agapouda
authors.affiliation: Research Cluster "Biodiversity and Medicines" , Research Group "Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy" , UCL School of Pharmacy , University of London, London, UK.|Division of Herbal and East Asian Medicine, Department of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Booker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Interdisciplinary Centre of Natural Products, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tivadar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Interdisciplinary Centre of Natural Products, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Judit
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hohmann
authors.affiliation: Research Cluster "Biodiversity and Medicines" , Research Group "Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy" , UCL School of Pharmacy , University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heinrich
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Interdisciplinary Centre of Natural Products, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors.forename: Dezső
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Csupor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: 
  HPLC
  ; 
  Hypericum perforatum
  ; DNA barcoding; NMR metabolomics