Applications, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetics, toxicity of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. and its probably potential therapeutic effects on COVID-19: a review

Abstract

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. (SB) is a common heat-clearing medicine in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has been used for thousands of years in China and its neighboring countries. Clinically, it is mostly used to treat diseases such as cold and cough. SB has different harvesting periods and processed products for different clinical symptoms. Botanical researches proved that SB included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (1st, 2020) was consistent with the medicinal SB described in ancient books. Modern phytochemical analysis had found that SB contains hundreds of active ingredients, of which flavonoids are its major components. These chemical components are the material basis for SB to exert pharmacological effects. Pharmacological studies had shown that SB has a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, liver protection, etc. The active ingredients of SB were mostly distributed in liver and kidney, and couldn't be absorbed into brain via oral absorption. SB’s toxicity was mostly manifested in liver fibrosis and allergic reactions, mainly caused by baicalin. The non-medicinal application prospects of SB were broad, such as antibacterial plastics, UV-resistant silk, animal feed, etc. In response to the Coronavirus Disease In 2019 (COVID-19), based on the network pharmacology research, SB’s active ingredients may have potential therapeutic effects, such as baicalin and baicalein. Therefore, the exact therapeutic effects are still need to be determined in clinical trials. SB has been reviewed in the past 2 years, but the content of these articles were not comprehensive and accurate. In view of the above, we made a comprehensive overview of the research progress of SB, and expect to provide ideas for the follow-up study of SB.

Clinical characteristics and impacts of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on the convalescents of COVID-19

“…Elevated ApoB and LDL-C in the TCM group might be caused by the increased nutrients intake and improved metabolism of liver. The toxicity of TCM is often concerned, especially liver toxicity 31 . However, the present study suggested that TCM is safe for convalescent COVID-19 patients and even has some protective effects on the liver.…”

Hairy Roots of Scutellaria spp. (Lamiaceae) as Promising Producers of Antiviral Flavones

“…The special interest should be attracted to the plants of Lamiaceae genus, as they are rich in phenolic compounds [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. The properties of flavone baicalin as a component of anti-coronavirus drugs are currently being actively studied [ 8 , 9 ]. It is already known that baicalin significantly reduces the oxidative damage to cells, which is induced by the Ang II receptor, and baicalin activates the ACE2-Ang-(1–7) Mas pathway [ 4 ].…”

The Effectiveness of Scutellaria baicalensis on Migraine: Implications from Clinical Use and Experimental Proof

“…The chemical components, such as flavonoids, diterpenes, polyphenols, and amino acids, of SB [ 24 ] have several important biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral effects [ 25 ]. In addition, a recent study showed that SB has potential therapeutic effects on coronavirus disease 2019 [ 26 ]. Moreover, baicalin and baicalein, which are the major bioactive compounds in SB, have demonstrated an important role in inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines [ 25 , 27 ], NF- κ B signalling [ 28 , 29 ], and c-fos expression [ 30 ] in multiple experimental models.…”