Bidirectional interactions between St. John´s wort and gut microbiome
St. John´s wort is widely used for mild to moderate depressive disorders, with numerous clinical studies and meta-analyses demonstrating its efficacy. However, its mechanism of action and the specific components responsible for its antidepressant effects remain unclear. To investigate the role of the human gut microbiome in this context, a standardized, chemically characterized St. John´s wort extract (STW 3-VI) was subjected to a digestive pipeline, mimicking the upper and lower digestive tracts. This process included in vitro predigestion followed by ex vivo gut microbial fermentation using fecal samples from 10 healthy individuals.