Baikal Skullcap

Scientific Name(s): Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi.
Common Name(s): Baical skullcap, Chinese skullcap, Golden root, Huang chin, Huang lien, Huang-qin, Hwang-keum, Hwanggum, Koganebana, Senohgon, Whang-geum, Wogon

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 21, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Baikal skullcap has been used for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunoprotective, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, and circulatory conditions. However, limited quality clinical trials are available to support these uses.

Dosing

3 to 10 g/day, 3 to 9 g root/day, 2 to 6 g dry root/day, 4 to 12 mL fluid extract.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Few adverse reactions have been reported.

Toxicology

In a phase 1 study of healthy volunteers, baicalein 100 to 2,800 mg was not associated with hepatic or kidney toxicity.

Scientific Family

• Lamiaceae (mint)

Botany

Baikal skullcap is an herbaceous perennial with fleshy roots, growing to 0.3 to 1.2 m in height. It has lancet-shaped leaves, purple-blue flowers, and black-brown, egg-shaped nutlets. The plant is found in Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, and Russia1 and thrives on sunny, grassy slopes and in dry, sandy soils. The dried root is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Baikal skullcap is related to skullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia), a North American species (see Scullcap monograph).2

History

Baikal skullcap is a Chinese medicinal herb that was used for over 2,000 years to treat fevers, hypertension, coughing, and other ailments, and is used today as a traditional remedy for dysentery and diarrhea. Baikal skullcap was included as an ingredient in several pharmaceutical combination preparations found in a second century AD tomb in northwestern China.2

Baikal skullcap is prescribed in China for fever, cough, GI, and urinary problems. These uses have been supported by clinical trials. Baikal skullcap is also used in Chinese herbal medicine for inflammation, allergies, dermatitis, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis.2, 3

Chemistry

Major phytochemicals found in S. baicalensis include flavonoids, glycosides, and their glucoronides.1 Flavonoids present in S. baicalensis include baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, and wogonoside.2, 4 Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography determination of flavonoids from S. baicalensis root has been reported.5 Flavone synthases Ι and ΙΙ, chrysin, wogonin, apigenin, salvigenin, scutellarein, and isoscutellarein were among flavonoid constituents also found in S. baicalensis leaf parts.6 Flavones baicalein, oroxylin, and skullcapflavone ΙΙ also were identified.7 Other reports confirmed similar flavonoid content.8, 9 One report described melatonin in certain plant samples.10 Other compounds include sterols and benzoic acid.2 The North American species, S. laterifolia differs in chemical constituents.

Uses and Pharmacology

Anti-inflammatory effects

Anti-inflammatory effects of Baikal skullcap are well documented...