Scutellaria Baicalensis(Skullcap)

History :

Caliphous thyroid (Scutellaria baicalensis) is a perennial perennial belonging to the Labiatae family. It comes from the areas of eastern Russia, Mongolia and China. It is one of the 50 basic herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The first mention of it comes from the works of Zhu Danxi, who was the most famous doctor of the Yuan Dynasty. Herbalists practicing Eastern medicine have used baalcaline to strengthen the cardiovascular system, to delay the aging process, to combat the symptoms of asthma or inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The name of the plant comes from the Latin word "scutella" meaning the shield and indicates its protective effect on the body.

Baikaline is a small perennial plant, growing up to a height of 25 to 60 cm. It is characterized by small lanceolate leaves placed on straight shoots, which are finished with blue or blue-violet flowers. Due to the shape of the latter, the plant is often referred to as "snapdragon". The permanent, non-dying part of the Baycal Skein is a small rhizome with a well-developed pile root, from which grow more or less branched lateral roots. It prefers a northern, cool, mostly dry mountain climate. Often you can meet her near the rivers. It dries quickly in summer under the influence of strong sun exposure and renews itself after rain. It is a plant species with high temperature tolerance, because it grows even at -15 ℃. In Asia, calico is grown at different heights - up to 8,000 m above sea level. In Poland, however, this plant grows only in botanical gardens or on properly prepared plantations.

The root of the thyroid with the most pharmacological significance is the root. The most commonly used underground parts of plants 3-4 years old, because the content of active compounds is then the largest and amounts to about 20%. The raw material is yellow-brown and reaches a length of 8-25 cm and a diameter of 1-3 cm. After digging the plants from the ground, the roots must be immediately crushed and dried to prevent their greening. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, thyroid herb is also described, which is most commonly used in traditional Taiwan medicine.

Composition:

Research on the thyroid chemical composition was probably started in 1910. At that time, 295 ingredients belonging to 35 species were identified. Among them, phenolic compounds, such as: flavonoids, iridoid glycosides, diterpenes, phenethyl glycosides (phenyletanoids), as well as secondary compounds that enhance the activity of the main active ingredients, i.e. tannins, phenolic acids, essential oils, alkaloids, sterols and polysaccharides, deserve the most attention. .

In the group of flavonoids the most important are lipophilic flavonoids, with high solubility in the cell membrane, which have 3 hydroxyl or methoxy groups. These compounds include baqualayin (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone), wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) and their glycosides, or glucoronides (bajkalin and vogonozide).

Application:

Antimicrobial action

It has been proven that the baitstral thyroid is an effective remedy against diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. The conducted in vitro tests showed mainly its effective action against bacteria such as Streptococcus, Meningococcus, S. aureus, C. diphteriae, Shigella, B. anthracis, Salmonella, Proteus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, B. pertussis, V.comma and against antibiotic-resistant strains (eg Staphylococcus aureus), fungi of the genus Candida albicans. In addition, one of the constituents present in the plant, i.e., wogonin, has the ability to inhibit the development of HBV, i.e. a microbe that causes hepatitis B, and various viruses that cause influenza.

The results of further independent studies also suggest that the etheric root bait extract is characterized by a strong antibacterial activity in the Gram + range. Balealin is responsible for this action. As a result, supplementation of this extract may limit the development of Vibrio coma (cholera proverbial). In addition, 2% herbal decoction inhibits the growth of some pathogenic bacteria growing in the oral cavity (Bacterioides melamnogenicus intermedius), which is particularly important for the prevention of periodontal disease.

Antioxidant effect

Thanks to the ability to scavenge free radicals, and thus antioxidant properties of the plant, its supplementation is important for the removal of harmful heavy metals from the body, as well as for inhibiting atherosclerotic lesions developing in the blood vessels. The main role in these processes is played by baqualine, which also limits the amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines that are produced. In one of the clinical trials on the use of the antioxidant properties of the Baikal thyroid, it was shown that its main active compound (baqualeine) works synergistically with coenzyme Q10. There were no adverse interactions between these compounds, but only the intensity of each of them was observed. This study consisted in taking blood from volunteers and then measuring the level of oxidative stress induced by chromium compounds. In the research group, in which people were given a Baycheal thyroid, a significant reduction in the level of this stress was noted in comparison to the placebo control group.

Antiallergic and anti-asthmatic action

The results suggest that supplementation of bajkalska thyroid translates into a significant reduction in the number of cells (eosinophils) playing a key role in the development of asthma and allergies, as well as their symptoms. In addition, this plant has anticholinergic activity, i.e. abolishes bronchoconstriction causing a feeling of breathlessness when diagnosed asthma. Despite the fact that baqualein does not show as much antiallergic activity as other flavonoids (eg quercetin), it can relieve some of the allergy symptoms. It is also believed that this active ingredient in Scutellaria baicalensis limits the amount of substance secreted by fibroblasts, as a result of which the reduction of symptoms associated with hypersensitivity is observed.

Anti-cancer prophylaxis

One of the most serious causes of cancer development is persistent inflammation in the body for a long time, at the base of which is the increased number of proinflammatory cytokines. The calaceous thyroid has the ability to reduce the concentration of the latter, and thus reduces the risk of developing inflammation, that is, it acts anti-cancer. It has also been proven that wogonin is an excellent anti-inflammatory, which does not cause numerous side effects, as is the case with other drugs with this effect. Furthermore, in vitro, this active ingredient induced apoptosis, i.e. the death of pathologically altered cells.

In addition to anti-cancer prophylaxis, the fairy-tale thyroid is also used in anti-cancer therapies. The British scientists from the John Innes Center in Norwich and specialists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have found out about the usefulness of the plant in this case. They proved that the flavones present in flowers of plants stimulate the processes of cancer cell death and can be successfully used in oncology.

Earlier assumptions were also confirmed by other scientists who carried out laboratory tests on mice. In these rodents, inhibition of the growth of squamous cell cells in the head and neck region after administration of the S. baicalensis extract was observed. In addition, another clinical trial proved that the aqueous extract of the plant acts cytotoxically against human myeloid leukemia and tumor cells affecting the lungs.

Prevention of neurodegenerative diseases

Such serious diseases as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy appear as a result of gradual destructive changes in the nervous system. Thanks to the antioxidative potential, i.e. the ability to scavenge free radicals, and thus to limit the negative impact of these reactive molecules on the brain structures, the development of the above diseases is stopped. In addition, it has been proven that the baalkaline present in the plant acts as a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, an enzyme that breaks down two key neurotransmitters of the central nervous system (DOPA and SERO). Baikal thyroid is therefore successfully used in the treatment of depression and adjuvant in the therapy of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

Anxiolytic action

The results of the conducted research suggest that the decay of the Baikal thyroid root calcification has a calming effect. The effect after its application is even greater than in the case of taking valerian (a popular plant with anxiolytic effect). As a result, Scutellaria baicalensis is often used to treat functional neuroses (manifested by excessive motor activity and insomnia) and to reduce the level of stress in difficult situations. In traditional Chinese medicine, the Baikal thyroid was considered a strong anti-stress agent. It has also been proven that the root extract of the plant is characterized by anticonvulsant and spasmolytic action (similar to the effect of papaverine). This effect is mainly due to Baalca, which is an agonist of the GABAergic system receptors. By joining them, this compound mimics the action of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, and thus leads to the reduction of nervous tension and increases resistance to stress.

Memory

The research carried out in 2008 shows that the flavonoid substance present in the Baikal thyroid, or oroxin A, is a very strong antioxidant. It is often used in the treatment of memory disorders due to the accumulation of β-amyloid plaques. The deposition of these structures is also the cause of the development of Alzheimer's disease. Further research is currently underway to determine the efficacy of this compound in the prevention of the disease.

Contraindications:

Preparations based on Baychemic thyroid should not be used by pregnant or breast-feeding women. Caution should also be given to people suffering from blood clotting disorders, patients with hypoglycaemia, too low blood pressure, and also with autoimmune disorders.