Therapeutic preparation of activated St. john's Wort

Abstract

A therapeutic composition and a method of producing it by light-activating hypericin in a carrier or solvent. Preferably, the composition is made by combining dried flowers and/or flower stems of St. John's Wort with edible oil and exposing the mixture to the sun for a prolonged time. This process serves to light-activate the hypericin before its use and reduce risk of skin phototoxicity. The composition can be used for treating undesirable conditions such as mouth sores and vaginal infections.

Claims

1. A method of producing a therapeutic composition, comprising: preparing an intermediate by combining hypericin with a carrier or solvent; irradiating the intermediate with light; and then packaging the irradiated intermediate in a vial for ingestion or topical use as the therapeutic composition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preparing the intermediate comprises combining the carrier or solvent with at least one of a flower and/or a flower stem of a plant in the family Hypericaceae.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the carrier or solvent comprises an edible oil.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the carrier or solvent comprises olive oil.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the carrier or solvent comprises oleuropein.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the carrier or solvent-immersed flowers and/or flower stems comprise a ratio of at least 40 grams of a dry weight of the flowers and/or flower stems to one liter of the carrier or solvent.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the carrier or solvent-immersed flowers and/or flower stems comprise at least 0.05% wt/wt of the hypericin to the carrier or solvent.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the light comprises sunlight.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the light comprises ultraviolet light.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of preparing the intermediate comprises combining the carrier or solvent with a flower and/or flower stem of a plant in the family Hypericaceae, the carrier or solvent comprises olive oil, and the light comprises sunlight, further comprising subjecting the intermediate to the sunlight for a period of at least 20 days, and further comprising shaking and turning the intermediate each day.

11. A method of treating a body of a person, comprising: providing in a container, a light-activated mixture of (a) a plant material comprising a dried flower and/or flower stem of a plant in the family Hypericaceae, and (b) an edible oil; preparing a clarified oil by removing at least some of the plant material from the light-activated mixture; and removing a portion of the clarified oil from the container, and applying the removed clarified oil to a region of the body having an undesirable condition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the undesirable condition comprises a hemorrhoid.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the undesirable condition comprises a varicose vein.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the undesirable condition comprises a vaginal infection.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the undesirable condition comprises a mouth sore.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of providing the clarified oil to a region of the body comprises ingesting a dose of the clarified oil.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a graphic representation of the therapeutic composition in preferred embodiments according to the inventive subject matter, and of the method of using the therapeutic composition to treat undesirable conditions.

(2) FIG. 2 is a flowchart of steps to prepare the therapeutic composition in preferred embodiments according to the inventive subject matter, including various alternatives.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION (OF THE DRAWING)

(3) The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and a second embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.

(4) FIG. 1 generally depicts the preferred embodiment of the therapeutic composition where flowers of St. John's Wort (110), and olive oil (120) are provided. The flowers and the olive oil are then placed in a container (130) and exposed to sunlight (140) for a prolonged time. A clarified oil is then prepared by separating the flowers from the oil, resulting in a therapeutic composition (150). The composition is then therapeutically-packaged (160a), and lastly applied topically (160b) to treat a mouth sore (170).

(5) In FIG. 2, schematic 200 depicts a method (210) of producing a therapeutic composition comprising three basic steps: Step 220preparing an intermediate by combining hypericin with a carrier or solvent; Step 230irradiating the intermediate with light; and Step 240packaging the irradiated intermediate for use as the composition.

(6) The intermediate can be prepared by combining the carrier or solvent with at least one of flower and/or flower stem of a Hypericaceae plant (250). The carrier or solvent-immersed flowers and/or flower stems may comprise the following (270): Box 270aat least 1% wt/wt of a dry weight of the flowers and/or flower stems to the carrier or solvent. In preferred embodiments, the carrier or solvent-immersed flowers and/or flower stems comprise a ratio of at least 40 grams of a dry weight of the flowers and/or flower stems to one liter of the carrier or solvent. Box 270badditionally or alternatively hypericin can be added in some form other than in dried flowers or stems, and in that case hypericin is added to the carrier or solvent in a concentration of at least 0.05% wt/wt of the hypericin to the carrier or solvent.

(7) Some contemplated options for the carrier or solvent are as follows (260): Box 260aolive oil. Box 260 boleuropein. Box 260cedible oil.

(8) Some contemplated options for the light are (280): Box 280asunlight. Box 280bUV light.

(9) The carrier or solvent can be combined with at least one of flowers and/or flower stems of a Hypericaceae plant and irradiated with light for at least 20 days (290a), preferably shaken and turned every day (290b).

(10) It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms comprises and comprising should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.