Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) Protects Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ASC) against Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Development and Reduces Inflammation during Adipogenesis.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) fulfills essential duties in cell physiology, and impairment of this organelle's functions is associated with a wide number of metabolic diseases. When ER stress is generated in the adipose tissue, it is observed that the metabolism and energy homeostasis of the adipocytes are altered, leading to obesity-associated metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). In the present work, we aimed to evaluate the protective effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV, a cannabinoid compound isolated from Cannabis sativa L.) against ER stress in adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Our results show that pre-treatment with THCV prevents the subcellular alteration of cell components such as nuclei, F-actin, or mitochondria distribution, and restores cell migration, cell proliferation and colony-forming capacity upon ER stress. In addition, THCV partially reverts the effects that ER stress induces regarding the activation of apoptosis and the altered anti- and pro-inflammatory cytokine profile. This indicates the protective characteristics of this cannabinoid compound in the adipose tissue. Most importantly, our data demonstrate that THCV decreases the expression of genes involved in the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, which were upregulated upon induction of ER stress. Altogether, our study shows that the cannabinoid THCV is a promising compound that counters the harmful effects triggered by ER stress in the adipose tissue. This work paves the way for the development of new therapeutic means based on THCV and its regenerative properties to create a favorable environment for the development of healthy mature adipocyte tissue and to reduce the incidence and clinical outcome of metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

Patient satisfaction with pharmacist-administered COVID-19 vaccines in Poland: a survey study in the vaccination centres context.

BACKGROUND: Since 2021, pharmacists in Poland have been authorised to administer vaccinations against COVID-19, which is of particular significance in the efforts towards preventing the spread of the pandemic. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the patients' satisfaction with delivering vaccinations through national vaccination centres. METHODS: This study was conducted in 2021. The research tool was an anonymous questionnaire distributed to patients after vaccination. The questionnaire was developed specifically for the purpose of the study. Ultimately, 628 patients participated in this study. RESULTS: Nearly 97% of the respondents agreed that the administration of vaccinations by pharmacists had been convenient, and pharmacists possessed the relevant skills to provide this service. Almost 90% of the respondents expressed their readiness to be vaccinated by pharmacists again. Nearly all the respondents indicated that pharmacists should also provide other vaccinations. CONCLUSIONS: Patients in Poland have a positive attitude toward vaccinations administered by pharmacists in national vaccination centres.

Cannabidiol (CBD) Protects Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (ASCs) against Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Development and Its Complications.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies suggested that individuals with metabolic disorders have altered function of adipocytes and adipose stem cell subpopulations, which impairs tissue homeostasis, promoting insulin resistance and diabetes development. The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid CBD was found to modulate adipose tissue metabolism, however, its exact role in controlling ASCs' fate is still poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This investigation aimed to elucidate whether pretreatment of ASCs with CBD can protect against ER stress development and maintain the cytophysiological properties of cells. METHODS: Human ASCs were cultured under control and adipogenic conditions. Prior to the experiments, cells in the experimental group were pretreated with CBD following the addition of an ER stress inducer-tunicamycin. After the experiments, the cells were subsequently tested for expression of the apoptotic, ER stress, and anti-inflammatory-related genes using RT-qPCR. Oxidative stress was analysed with flow cytometric assays. RESULTS: Cells pretreated with CBD displayed decreased apoptosis and enhanced proliferation rate. Additionally, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and miRNAs was significantly reduced. The obtained results also demonstrated an obvious reduction in intracellular accumulated ROS and NO, as well as mitigated ER stress through the down-regulation of IRE-1, PERK, CHOP, and ATF6 transcripts upon CBD treatment. CONCLUSION: The presented data provide the evidence that CBD protects ASCs against ER stress development and its complications and, thus, offers new insights for the management of obesity through the regulation of adipose tissue dynamics.

Impact of Polyrhodanine Manganese Ferrite Binary Nanohybrids (PRHD@MnFe2O4) on Osteoblasts and Osteoclasts Activities-A Key Factor in Osteoporosis Treatment.

Osteoporosis is characterized by the reduction of bone mineral density and the weakness of the bone strength leading to fractures. Searching for new compounds that stimulate bone activity and their ability to reconstruct seems to be a promising tool in osteoporosis treatment. Here, we performed analyses comparing the impact of polyrhodanine (PRHD) and its derivatives on the viability (anti-proliferative tests), morphology and mitochondrial network (confocal microscopy) towards pre-osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1 cell line) and osteoclasts (4B12 cell line). Moreover, we assessed the expression of genes associated with the apoptosis, inflammation and osteogenic differentiation by qPCR technique. Our results clearly demonstrated that PRHD and its modification at ratio 10/90 significantly improves the pre-osteoblast's proliferative abilities, while reducing osteoclast function. The observed effects were strongly correlated with the cytoskeleton and mitochondrial network development and arrangement. Additionally, the expression profile of genes revealed enhanced apoptosis of osteoclasts in the case of PRHD and its modification at ratio 10/90. Moreover, in this case we also observed strong anti-inflammatory properties demonstrated by decreased expression of Il1b, Tnfa and Tgfb in pre-osteoblasts and osteoclasts. On the other hand, enhanced expression of the markers associated with bone remodeling, namely, osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCL) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), seem to confirm the role of PRHD@MnFe2O4 in the promotion of differentiation of pre-osteoblasts through the ALP-OPN-OCL axis. Based on these observations, PRHD@MnFe2O4 could be a potential agent in osteoporosis treatment in future, however, further studies are still required.

Calystegines Improve the Metabolic Activity of Human Adipose Derived Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs) under Hyperglycaemic Condition through the Reduction of Oxidative/ER Stress, Inflammation, and the Promotion of the AKT/PI3K/mTOR Pathway.

Hyperglycaemia and its resulting glucotoxicity are among the most prominent hallmarks of diabetes mellitus (DM) development. Persistent hyperglycaemia further leads to oxidative stress via mitochondrial dysfunction and subsequent ER stress onset, while associated hyperlipidaemia triggers the adipose tissue to secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines. In this study, the effect of calystegines has been investigated in an experimental model of hyperglycaemia induced on human ASCs cells. Different cellular pathways including apoptosis, oxidative and ER stress, inflammation as well as Pi3K/AKT/mTOR metabolic-associated axis have been evaluated by means on RT-qPCR, western blot, and flow cytometry techniques. Treatment of HuASCs cells with calystegines strongly promoted the hyperglycaemic cells survival and significantly diminished oxidative stress, mitochondrial dynamics failure and ER stress, while improving the endogenous cellular antioxidant defenses. Interestingly, nortropane alkaloids efficiently prevented the hyperglycaemia-mediated inflammatory response, as evidenced by the regulation of the pro- and anti-inflammatory response in HuASCs cells. Finally, we evidenced that calystegines may exert their protective effect on HuASCs cells metabolic functions through the restoration of the defective PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Overall, the present investigation demonstrated that calystegines possess important abilities to protect HuASCs against hyperglycaemia-induced cellular dysfunction, and it evidenced that the observed effects are associated to the promotion of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Falsified Medicines Directive in a Secondary Care Environment-Impact on Supply Chain.

The Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) and the Delegated Regulation (DR) impact the pharmaceutical supply chain. Ahead of the deadline for implementation, in February 2019, every entity of the supply chain had to adapt its operations to the regulatory requirements to be compliant with the directive. This paper analyzes the supply chain of a hospital pharmacy and the impact of the FMD implementation. Furthermore, a cost analysis was performed demonstrating that the FMD increases expenditure in the secondary care environment dispensing operations. Governments should be aware that this regulation will certainly impact public healthcare institutions in the long term.

Patient Perceptions on Receiving Vaccination Services through Community Pharmacies.

(1) Introduction: Pharmacists are medical professionals who play an active role in the protection of public health. Since 2021, pharmacists with an appropriate certification have been authorised to administer vaccines against COVID-19. (2) Objective: The objective of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of patients about receiving vaccinations through community pharmacies. (3) Material and methods: This study was conducted in 2021. The research tool was an anonymous questionnaire published on the websites of patient organisations. Ultimately, 1062 patients participated in this study. (4) Results: This study shows that most of the respondents find community pharmacies more accessible than outpatient clinics (85.3%). Sixty-one percent of the respondents stated that getting vaccinated at pharmacies would be less time consuming than at outpatient clinics. Nearly every third respondent (29.5%) declared that they would get vaccinated if they received such a recommendation from a pharmacist. Fifty-six percent of the respondents were of the opinion that the administration of vaccines by pharmacists would relieve the burden on medical staff and the healthcare system. (5) Conclusions: Polish patients participating in the study have a positive attitude towards the implementation of vaccination services in community pharmacies as an effective way of combating infectious diseases.

Assessment of Pharmacists' Willingness to Conduct Medication Use Reviews in Poland.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacists play an important role in healthcare. Their functions are evolving and, in many countries, they actively participate in interdisciplinary patient treatment. One of the most common services provided by pharmacists as part of pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies involves medication reviews. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the readiness of pharmacists to conduct medication reviews in community pharmacies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study comprises 493 pharmacists from community pharmacies in Poland. A questionnaire (developed for the purposes of this study) was used. It consisted of eight questions regarding readiness to conduct medication reviews, along with personal data. RESULTS: A total of 63.9% of the pharmacists were ready to conduct medication reviews, and 23.1% already had experience in this area. Participants were of the opinion that this service should be funded by the Ministry of Health or a third-party public payer, and overall was valued by the participants at PLN 169.04 (SD = 280.77) net per patient. CONCLUSIONS: Pharmacists in Poland have expressed their readiness to conduct medical reviews. Implementation of this service in community pharmacies in Poland can have a significant impact on optimising patient health outcomes.

Normalization of the Mini-MAC (Mental Adjustment to Cancer) Questionnaire among Cancer Patients.

Cancer is associated with discomfort and many changes in patients' lives to which they must adapt. The main objective of the study was to assess the use of the mini-MAC questionnaire scale among persons diagnosed with malignant cancer and to develop standards allowing differentiation of patients with diagnosed cancer in terms of their style of adjustment to the disease. The mini-MAC questionnaire is a widely used tool in assessing coping strategies among cancer patients. Sten standards have been developed to determine the level of results on the questionnaire scales in the low-average-high categories. The study included 1187 patients diagnosed with malignant cancer who are covered by outpatient care at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute-Oncology Center in Warsaw. The questionnaire concerning mental adjustment to cancer was used (mini-MAC). Patients with cancer most often adopt strategies of fighting spirit and positive reevaluation. The variables that differentiate the results most significantly include gender, presence of metastasis, and the state of undergoing chemotherapy. The mini-MAC questionnaire should be a tool for psycho-oncological diagnosis of patients' attitudes towards cancer. The obtained results indicate that cancer patients are characterized by their constructive style of adjustment to the disease.

Laurus nobilis ethanolic extract attenuates hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cell line through the reduction of oxidative stress and improvement of mitochondrial biogenesis - Possible implication in pharmacotherapy.

The aim of this study was to establish the potential effect of Laurus nobilis ethanolic extract on improving insulin sensitivity and protecting liver cells from apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress (OS), and inflammation; all of which considered as major alterations occurring during insulin resistance (IR) as well as diabetes onset, in hyperinsulinemic and hyperglycemic-induced HepG2 cell line. Thereby, L. nobilis ethanolic extract has been first chemically characterized using LC-MS/MS technique. Subsequently, HepG2 cells were pre-treated with an optimal concentration of L. nobilis ethanolic extract for 24 h, and then, subjected to 30 mM D-glucose and 500 nM insulin mixture for another 24 h in order to induce hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycaemia (HI/HG) status. Several parameters such as biocompatibility, hepatotoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial transmembrane potential, dynamics, and metabolism, multicaspase activity, glucose uptake, in addition to genes and proteins expression levels were investigated. The obtained results showed that the bioactive extract of Laurus nobilis increased the number of living cells and their proliferation rate, significantly attenuated apoptosis by modulating pro-apoptotic pathways (p21, p53 and Bax genes), allowed a relative normalization of caspases-activity, and decreased the expression of inflammatory markers including c-Jun, NF-κB and Tlr4 transcripts. L. Nobilis ethanolic extract reduced considerably total intracellular ROS levels in challenged HepG2 cells, and regulated the mitochondrial OXPHOS pathway, demonstrating the potential antioxidant effect of the plant. Ethanolic plant extract increased insulin sensitivity, since an elevated expression of master transcripts responsible for insulin sensitivity including IRS1, IRS2, INSR was found. Taken together, obtained data suggest that L. nobilis ethanolic extract offers new insights in the development of potential antioxidant, insulin sensitizing as well as hepatoprotective drugs.

Hyoscyamus albus nortropane alkaloids reduce hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia induced in HepG2 cells through the regulation of SIRT1/NF-kB/JNK pathway.

BACKGROUND: Chronic superphysiological glucose and insulin concentrations are known to trigger several tissue and organ failures, including insulin resistance, oxidative stress and chronic low-grade inflammation. Hence, the screening for molecules that may counteract such conditions is essential in current existing therapeutic strategies, thereby the use of medicinal plant derivatives represents a promising axis in this regard. METHODS: In this study, the effect of a selected traditional medicinal plant, Hyoscyamus albus from which, calystegines have been isolated, was investigated in an experimental model of hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia induced on HepG2 cells. The mRNA and protein expression levels of different insulin signaling, gluconeogenic and inflammatory pathway- related molecules were examined. Additionally, cell viability and apoptosis, oxidative stress extent and mitochondrial dysfunctions were assayed using flow cytometric and qRT-PCR techniques. RESULTS: Treatment of IR HepG2 cells with calystegines strongly protected the injured cells from apoptosis, oxidative stress and mitochondrial integrity loss. Interestingly, nortropane alkaloids efficiently regulated the impaired glucose metabolism in IR HepG2 cells, through the stimulation of glucose uptake and the modulation of SIRT1/Foxo1/G6PC/mTOR pathway, which is governing the hepatic gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, the alkaloidal extract restored the defective insulin signaling pathway, mainly by promoting the expression of Insr at the mRNA and protein levels. What is more, treated cells exhibited significant mitigated inflammatory response, as evidenced by the modulation and the regulation of the NF- κB/JNK/TLR4 axis and the downstream proinflammatory cytokines recruitment. CONCLUSION: Overall, the present investigation demonstrates that calystegines from Hyoscyamus albus provide cytoprotection to the HepG2 cells against insulin/glucose induced insulin resistance and apoptosis due to the regulation of SIRT1/Foxo1/G6PC/mTOR and NF-κB/JNK/TLR4 signaling pathways. Video Abstract.

Probiotics-rich emulsion improves insulin signalling in Palmitate/Oleate-challenged human hepatocarcinoma cells through the modulation of Fetuin-A/TLR4-JNK-NF-κB pathway.

BACKGROUND: Fetuin-A, also known as α2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (AHSG), is an abundant plasmatic serum protein synthesized predominantly in liver and adipose tissue. This glycoprotein is known to negatively regulate insulin signaling through the inhibition of insulin receptor (IR) autophosphorylation and tyrosine kinase activity, which participates in insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome development. Recent studies demonstrated that IR and associated metabolic disorders, are closely related to the gut microbiota and modulating it by probiotics could be effective in metabolic diseases management. OBJECTIVE: In this present work we aimed to evaluate the effects of a probiotics-rich emulsion on reducing the IR induced by free fatty acids accumulation in human hepatocarcinoma cell line, and to elucidate the implicated molecular pathways, with a specific emphasis on the hepatokin Fetuin-A-related axis. RESULTS: Here we showed, that probiotics improve HepG2 viability, protect against apoptosis under normal and IR conditions. Moreover, the emulsion was successful in attenuating oxidative stress as well as improving mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics. Interestingly, application of the probiotics to lipotoxic HepG2 cells resulted in significant reduction of Fetuin-A/TLR4/JNK/NF-κB pathway activation, which suggests a protective effect against inflammation, obesity as well as liver related insulin resistant. CONCLUSION: Overall, the presented data reports clearly on the potent potential of probiotics formulated in an emulsion vehicle to enhance metabolic functions of affected IR HepG2 cells, and suggest the possibility of using such preparations as insulin sensitizing therapy, playing at the same time protective role for the development of liver related insulin resistant.

Biological activity of mistletoe: in vitro and in vivo studies and mechanisms of action.

Mistletoe has been used as treatment of many diseases in traditional and folk medicine. To date, anticancer, immunomodulatory, cardiac, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, neuropharmacological, antibacterial and antifungal properties of mistletoe extracts have been studied the most. In this review, we summarized in vitro and in vivo studies on the pharmacological activity of Viscum species. Furthermore, we proposed the possible mechanisms of action of this herb, which might include many signalling pathways. Mistletoe could regulate either similar or different targets in various pathways that act on membrane receptors, enzymes, ion channels, transporter proteins and transcriptional targets. Still, pharmacological activities of mistletoe have been investigated mainly for crude extracts. It is a new field for scientists to determined which chemical compounds are responsible for the individual biological activities of mistletoe and how these activities are achieved. As a result, mistletoe might become a source of new complementary therapies supporting the treatment of many diseases.

Pilot Implementation of Falsified Medicines Directive in Hospital Pharmacy to Develop Best Practices for Medicine Decommissioning Process.

Background: The introduction of a medicines verification and decommissioning system into the hospital pharmacy may result in an increased workload for pharmacy staff. The pilot implementation allows us to understand all the implications of the process, optimize process workflows, and estimate the time and cost of implementation. Methods: All the packages received at the hospital pharmacy had a 2D data matrix codes and were scanned. We analyzed the time needed to unpack a variety of products, scan them, and receive the notification. Results: In total, 144 packages were scanned at an average time of 3.05 s, with most (86.9%) under 4 s. Manual decommissioning using handheld scanners was less efficient than the automated solution tested and resulted in an additional 0.4 full-time equivalent hours per million packages per year. The pattern and total time of manual scanning depended not only on the quantity but also the size of the package and type of packing. Conclusions: This evaluation of scanning performance allows optimizing the process at operational, technical, and resource levels for medicine verification and decommissioning.

Comparison of clinical characteristics of real-life atrial fibrillation patients treated with vitamin K antagonists, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban: results from the CRAFT study.

BACKGROUND: The first-line drugs for the treatment of non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) are non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), which are preferred over vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). There is some evidence that there are dis-crepancies between everyday clinical practice and the guidelines. AIM: The study aimed to compare the characteristics of patients on VKAs, dabigatran, and rivaroxaban in everyday practice (i.e. baseline characteristics, drug doses, risk factors for bleeding and thromboembolic events). Additionally, we assessed the frequency of prescription of different oral anticoagulants (OACs) in recent years. METHODS: This study consisted of data from the multicentre CRAFT (MultiCentre expeRience in AFib patients Treated with OAC) study (NCT02987062). This was a retrospective analysis of hospital records of AF patients (hospitalised in the years 2011-2016) treated with VKAs (acenocoumarol, warfarin) and NOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban). A total of 3528 patients with non-valvular AF were enrolled in the CRAFT study. RESULTS: The total cohort consisted of 1973 patients on VKA, 504 patients on dabigatran, and 1051 patients on rivaroxaban. Patients on rivaroxaban were older (70.5 ± 13.1 years) and more often female (47.9%), compared with those on VKAs (67.0 ± 12.8 years, p < 0.001; 35.5%, p < 0.001) and on dabigatran (66.0 ± 13.9 years, p < 0.001; 38.9%, p = 0.001). Among NOACs, patients with persistent and permanent AF were more likely to receive rivaroxaban (54.7% and 73.4%, re-spectively) than dabigatran (45.3%, p < 0.001 and 26.6%, p = 0.002, respectively). Patients on rivaroxaban had higher risk of thromboembolic events (CHA2DS2VASc 3.9 ± 2.0, CHADS2 2.2 ± 1.4) than those on VKAs (3.3 ± 2.0, 1.9 ± 1.3) and on dabigatran (3.1 ± 2.0, 1.8 ± 1.3). Patients on rivaroxaban had also a higher rate of prior major bleeding (11.2%) than those on VKAs (6.7%, p < 0.001) and on dabigatran (7.3%, p = 0.02). Patients on lower doses of dabigatran and rivaroxaban had a significantly higher risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events. Use of VKAs in the year 2011 was reported in over 96% of patients on OACs, but this proportion decreased to 34.6% in 2016. In the last analysed year (2016) AF patients were treated mainly with NOACs - dabigatran (24.2%) and rivaroxaban (41.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The prescription of VKAs declined significantly after the introduction of NOACs. Patients treated with different OACs demonstrated a distinct baseline clinical profile. The highest risk of thromboembolic events and incidence of major bleedings was observed in patients on rivaroxaban, in comparison to patients on VKAs and dabigatran. Among NOACs, patients treated with lower doses of dabigatran and rivaroxaban were older and had a significantly higher risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events.

Hospital Audit as a Useful Tool in the Process of Introducing Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) into Hospital Pharmacy Settings-A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the European Union has introduced the Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD). Additionally, in early 2016, a Delegated Act (DA) related to the FMD was published. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of external audits in the context of implementing new regulations provided by the FMD in the secondary care environment. METHODS: The external, in-person workflow audits were performed by an authentication company in three Polish hospital pharmacies. Each audit consisted of a combination of supervision (non-participant observation), secondary data analysis, and expert interviews with the use of an independently designed authorial Diagnostic Questionnaire. The questionnaire included information about hospital drug distribution procedures, data concerning drug usage, IT systems, medication order systems, the processes of medication dispensing, and the preparation and administration of hazardous drugs. Data analysis included a thorough examination of hospital documentation in regard to drug management. All data were subjected to qualitative analysis, with the aim of generating meaningful information through inductive inference. RESULTS: Only one dispensing location in the Polish hospitals studied has the potential to be a primary authentication area. In the audited hospitals, an Automated Drug Dispensing System and unit dose were not identified during the study. Hospital wards contained an enclosed place within the department dedicated to drug storage under the direct supervision of senior nursing staff. An electronic order system was not available. In the largest center, unused medications are re-dispensed to different hospital departments, or may be sold to various institutions. Additionally, in one hospital pharmacy, pharmacists prepared parenteral nutrition and chemotherapeutic drugs for patients admitted to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: External audits might prove beneficial in the course of introducing new regulations into everyday settings. However, such action should be provided before the final implementation of authentication services. To sum up, FMD can impact several hospital departments.

TESTING PHARMACEUTICAL RELEASE OF ACTIVE SUBSTANCES FROM MEDICINAL PRODUCTS CONTAINING ST. JOHN'S WORT.

The aim of this study was to determine the content of hypericins and flavonoids in tablets and capsules containing the extract or powdered herb of St. John's wort, in herbs for infusion and herbal infusions and to release of these compounds from tablets and capsules. HPLC method was used to determine the assay of hypericins and flavonoids in all tested products. The hypericins content was between 0.35 mg and 1.44 mg per tablet or capsule. The release of hypericins from these products in the phosphate buffer of pH 6.8 is between 30 and 60% of the determined content. The degree of hypericins release from herbs into infusions was 15% on average, which corresponds to 0.64 mg of hypericins per infusion of 4 g of herbs. The flavonoids content was between 8.79 and 36.3 mg per tablet or capsule. The release of flavonoids in the phosphate buffer of pH 6.8 is between 63 and 85% of the determined content. The degree of flavonoids release was 76% on average, which corresponds to 77.0 mg per infusion of 4 g of herbs. The test results confirmed that infusions from the St. John's wort constitute are a rich source of flavonoids. At the same time, the universally accepted opinion that aqueous infusions contain only trace amounts of hypericins was not confirmed. Infusions from Herba hyperici may also be a source of hypericins in amounts comparable with the minimum dose recommended for the treatment of mild to moderate depressive episodes.