Hypericin and hypericin-like substances: analytical problems

Hypericin is a substance derived from Hypericum perforatum L., a plant utilized in the production of extracts used to aromatize alcoholic beverages and soft drinks and limited in food and beverages by the E.E.C. Directives on Flavouring. This paper deals with the H.P.L.C. method developed to cover the lack of official and recommended methods concerning hypericin. It also considers the effect of alcoholic content on extraction by infusion of hypericin and testifies to the presence of hypericin-like substances in Hypericum perforatum L. extracts, inexplicably not limited by law.