Permeation of hypericin across Caco-2 monolayers in absence or presence of quercitrin – a mass balance study

Hypericin is a natural polycyclic quinone found in Hypericum perforatum. Although hypericin reportedly has numerous pharmacological activities, only a limited number of studies have been performed on the absorption and transport characteristics of this compound, presumably, because hypericin is a highly lipophilic compound which is poorly soluble in physiological medium. The major aim of this study was to get a detailed understanding of the exposure and fate of hypericin in the Caco-2 cell system under different experimental conditions. The permeation characteristics of hypericin (5µM) in absence or presence of…