''Scutellaria baicalensis'', with the common name Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the family

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savo ...

Distribution

The plant is native to China,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 millio ...

, and Russia in the

Russian Far East The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...

and

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part o ...

Medicinal plant

Traditional Chinese medicine

It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logica ...

, where it has the name ''huángqín'' (). As a Chinese traditional medicine, ''huang qin'' usually refers to the dried root of ''S. baicalensis'' Georgi, ''S. viscidula'' Bge., ''S. amoena'' C.H. Wright, and ''S. ikoninkovii'' Ju. Its use in TCM is for "the prophylaxis and treatment of

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver parenchyma, liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), Anorexia (symptom), poor appetite ...

atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis is a pattern of the disease arteriosclerosis in which the wall of the artery develops abnormalities, called lesions. These lesions may lead to narrowing due to the buildup of atheromatous plaque. At onset there are usually ...

, hypertension,

hyperlipidemia Hyperlipidemia is abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids (fats, cholesterol, or triglycerides) or lipoproteins in the blood. citing: and The term ''hyperlipidemia'' refers to the laboratory finding itself and is also used as an umbr ...

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urinati ...

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complication ...

ulcerative colitis Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a long-term condition that results in inflammation and ulcers of the colon and rectum. The primary symptoms of active disease are abdominal pain and diarrhea mixed with blood ( hematochezia). Weight loss, fever, an ...

, and respiratory disorders."

Pharmacology

Several chemical compounds have been isolated from the root;

baicalein Baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a flavone, a type of flavonoid, originally isolated from the roots of '' Scutellaria baicalensis'' and '' Scutellaria lateriflora''. It is also reported in ''Oroxylum indicum'' (Indian trumpetflower) and '' ...

baicalin As baicalin is a flavone glycoside, it is a flavonoid. It is the glucuronide of baicalein. Natural occurrences Baicalin is found in several species in the genus ''Scutellaria'', including '' Scutellaria baicalensis'', and '' Scutellaria late ...

wogonin Wogonin is an O-methylated flavone, a flavonoid-like chemical compound which is found in '' Scutellaria baicalensis''. The glycosides of wogonin are known as wogonosides. For example, oroxindin is a wogonin glucuronide isolated from ''Oroxylu ...

, norwogonin,

oroxylin A Oroxylin A is an O-methylated flavone, a chemical compound that can be found in the medicinal plants ''Scutellaria baicalensis'' and ''Scutellaria lateriflora'', and the ''Oroxylum indicum'' tree. It has demonstrated activity as a dopamine reuptak ...

and

β-sitosterol β-sitosterol (beta-sitosterol) is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. It is a white, waxy powder with a characteristic odor, and is one of the components of the food additive E49 ...

are the major ones.

Names

It is important to use the Latin name, as the term 'skullcap' is used for over 200 varieties. Sometimes, '' Scutellaria lateriflora'' (North American skullcap) is mistaken for ''S. baicalensis''. This confusion can result in the intake of the ''S. lateriflora'' variety which can be processed and contaminated with other plants at high enough levels to be of concern.

Adverse effects

There have been several reports and small case series of acute liver injury with

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme met ...

arising 1 to 3 months after starting herbal or dietary supplements containing ''S. baicalensis''.

References

External links

''Scutellaria baicalensis'' List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's Databases)''Scutellaria baicalensis'' (Plants for a Future)
{{Taxonbar, from=Q803769 baicalensis Flora of China Flora of Korea Flora of Mongolia Flora of the Russian Far East Flora of Siberia Medicinal plants of Asia Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Anxiolytics Dopamine reuptake inhibitors GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators