Investigation of the essential oil content in St.John's Wort Hypericum perforatum L. ssp. angustifolium (herb), gathered at the Sobina locality (surroundings of Vranje, South Serbia, Yugoslavia), was performed by the GC-MS method. Thirty-seven components with the total relative share of 82.5% were identified. The components with the highest relative share are caryophyllene oxide (15.29%) and trans-anethole (10.54%).

Out of the great number of medicinal plant species, which have been used during the long history of human culture, Hypericum perforatum L. - St. John's wort is one of the most significant. Ever since the age of Ancient Greece, through the Middle Ages, this herb was thought to be imbued with magical properties and was used as a protection from evil, diseases and infections. In folk medicine, St.John's wort is most commonly used in the form of teas or oil preparations, and is taken in mixtures with other medicinal herbs.

The most important investigations show that the indication area of St. John's wort is much broader. Therefore, it can be successfully applied as antidepressive (1-4) and antiviral drug even in the treatment of such a disease as AIDS (5). Those are the reasons for it being proclaimed as "the herb of the year" in some European countries (Germany, Poland). The importance of this herbal species can be seen from the fact that the seed "topaz" was selected for plantation growing of St. John's wort in Poland (6).

At the Sobina locality, on the Krstilovica mountain (surroundings of Vranje, South Serbia, Yugoslavia), new finding of Hypericum perforatum L., subsp. angustifolium, was discovered at the habitat of woods of Carpino orientalis, Querco and Castanetum sativae ass. nova (7).

The aim of this work is to determine the qualitative and quantitative composition of the essential oil of Hypericum perforatum L. ssp. angustifolium.

St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum L. ssp. angustifolium, collected at the Sobina locality (surroundings of Vranje), was used for the investigation. Herbal material has been dried for two weeks at room temperature, in thin layer 5-7 cm, and then ground on the electric mill and sieved through 1 mm sieve.

The determination of general parameters for quality of the drug (essential oil content, loss on drying, ash and sand content) was carried out by the methods set out in Ph.Jug.IV.

The method of water distillation in the apparatus according to Clavenger (ratio of plant material to water 1:5), was used for obtaining the essential oil from the plant material.

For GC-MS analysis Hewlett Packard HP G-1800 GCD analytical system was used. Sample solution (1 ml) were injected on to HP-5 (30 m x 0.25 mm) capillary column under the following conditions: injector and detector temperatures were 250°C and 280°C, respectively, while column was heated at 50°C (1 min), then from 50-100°C (5°C/min) and finally from 100-200°C (9°C/min). Carrier gas was helium (0.8 ml/min).

Figure 1. H. perforatum L. ssp angustifolium (GC-MS chromatogram of the essential oil)

Obtained results for general parameters of drug quality presented in Table 1, met the requirements set out in the Ph.Jug.IV for testing H. perforatum L.

Figure 1 shows the GC-MS chromatogram of essential oil, and Table 2 shows the results of qualitative and quantitative analyses.

GC-MS analysis has identified 37 components of the investigated essential oil with the total relative share of 82.5%. The components with the highest relative share are caryophyllene oxide (15.29 %) and trans-anethole (10.54%).

GS-MS analysis has identified 37 components of the Hypericum perforatum L. ssp. angustifolium essential oil. The abundant components are caryophyllene oxide (15.29%) and trans-anethole (10.54%).

1. Suzuki O., et al. (1980): Inhibition of type A and type B monoamine oxidase by isogentisin and its 3-O-glycoside. Planta Medica 39, 19-23.

2. Suzuki O., et al. (1981): Inhibition of type A and type B monoamineoxidases by natural occurring xanthones. Planta Medica 42,12-21.

3. Suzuki O., et al. (1984): Inhibition of monoamine oxidase by hypericin. Planta Medica 50, 272-274.

4. Mulder V.H. and Zoller M. (1984): Antidepressive Wirkung eines auf den Wirkstoffkomplex Hypericin standardisierten Hypericin - extractes. Arzein- Forsch. 34, 918.

5. Meruelo D., Lavie G. and Lavie D. (1988): Therapeutic agents with dramatic antiretroviral activity and little toxicity at effective doses: aromatic polyciyclic diapes hypericin and pseudohypericin. Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. 85, 5230-5234.

6. Seidler-Lozykowska K. and Dabrowska J. (1996): Topaz - polska odmiona dzuirawca zwyczajnegmo (Hypericum perforatum L.). Herba polonica 24 (3), 140-143.

7. Šmelcerović A., et al. (1998): Mikrobiološko i hemijsko ispitivanje biljne vrste Hypericum perforatum L. (kantarion) sa lokaliteta Sobina (okolina Vranja), III Simpozium "Savremene tehnologije i privredni razvoj", Zbornik radova, Leskovac, 27.