Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John’s wort) is one of the most popular medicinal plants in the world. Due to its documented antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, it is used in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections as well as inflammations. It is also used to treat gastrointestinal diseases and mild to moderate depression. In recent years, there has been an increase in the popularity of herbal medicine. Many people collect their own herbs and dry them at home. A common choice for quick drying of fruits, vegetables and herbs at home are food dehydrator machines. There are not many publications in the scientific literature examining the quality of dried herbal material obtained in such dryers. We characterized St. John’s wort harvested in southern Poland and investigated the effect of specific drying methods on the volatile component profile. The herbal raw material was dried using three methods: indoors at room temperature, in an incubator at 37 °C and in a food dehydrator machine. Volatile components were analysed by HS-SPME GC/MS. The herb dried in a food dehydrator, compared to other drying methods, retained similar or slightly smaller amounts of the compounds from the mono- and sesquiterpenes group, aromatic monoterpenes, aromatic monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, aromatic sesquiterpenes and alkanes. However, monoterpenoids and compounds coming from decomposition reactions, such as alcohols, short-chain fatty acids and esters, were noticed in larger quantities. Usage of a food dehydrator at home can be a convenient alternative to drying herbs. However, due to a different profile of volatile components depending on the drying method, the amount of biologically active substances needs to be considered. By using various methods of drying, the medical effects of herbs can be enhanced or weakened; therefore, further research in this direction should be continued.

Osobom interesującym się zielarstwem nie trzeba przedstawiać sylwetki Profesora Aleksandra Ożarowskiego. To jedna z najbardziej zasłużonych dlapolskiego ziołolecznictwa osób. Urodził się w 1916 roku w Prusakowie (obecnie Chmielnicki) na Ukrainie, zmarł w wieku 95 lat 23 czerwca 2011 roku.Profesor Ożarowski był przyjacielem utworzonego w 2007 roku Herbarium św. Franciszka. Mogliśmy korzystać z jego wiedzy i rad przy rozpoczynaniudziałalności. Była to dla nas ogromna i nieoceniona pomoc. Przekazał bezinteresownie do biblioteki Herbarium część swoich książek, dzięki czemumogliśmy pogłębiać fachową wiedzę.

The present study evaluates the action of Jerusalem Balsam with respect to the biosynthetic machinery of Kynurenic Acid (KYNA) synthesis e.g. the activity of the enzyme synthesizing KYNA, Kynurenine Aminotransferase II (KAT II) in the rat liver homogenate. Subsequently we compared the action of Jerusalem Balsam on KAT II activity in the rat liver homogenate with the action of Cerebrolysin and D-cycloserine, known to inhibit rat liver KAT II activities. We found that Jerusalem Balsam blocked dose-dependently and significantly KAT II activity in the rat liver homogenate. The effect of Jerusalem Balsam on KAT II activity comparing to action of Cerebrolysin or D-cycloserine was strong and significant and the inhibition was seen up to 5 hrs of assay incubation time. Obtained data suggest that lowering of KYNA synthesis by Jerusalem Balsam is a notable biochemical effect since it might influence KYNA levels. Increased KYNA levels, respectively KYNA synthesis has been reported in stroke patient, in patient with respiration and cardiovascular problem and in neuropsychiatric disorders. The possible therapeutic mechanism and advantage of the remedy Jerusalem Balsam, i.e., mixture of plants might be due to modulation of KYNA synthesis and improvement of biochemical processes in the periphery and likely in the CNS.