Contents:
Common Names | Parts Usually Used | Plant(s) & Culture | Where Found | Medicinal Properties | Biochemical Information
Legends, Myths and Stories | Uses | Formulas or Dosages | Nutrient Content | How Sold | Warning | Resource Links
Scientific Names
- Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi
- Scutellaria baicalensis
Common Names
- Chinese Skullcap
- Baikal Skullcap
- Hooded Skullcap
- Huang Qin – Chinese
- Hwanggeum – Korean
- Kikin – Japanese
- Shchitovidka baykalskaya – Russian
- Escutelaria de Baikal – Spanish
- Scutellaire de Baïkal – French
- Chinesischer Helmkraut – German
Parts Usually Used
The dried root is the primary medicinal part used, often referred to as Radix Scutellariae or Huang Qin in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The roots are typically harvested in spring or fall, then dried and processed into powders, tinctures, pills, or used in their natural form for decoctions.
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Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Chinese Skullcap is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae). The plant typically grows 30-120 cm tall with a diameter of 2.5-3 mm. It has an elongated, branching, thick, fleshy rhizome up to 2 cm in diameter. The stem base is about glabrous or sessile to puberulent, blunt-tetragonal in form, and appears finely striped. The base can be either green or purple.
The leaves are 1.5-4.5 cm long and 0.5-1.2 cm wide, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate in shape. The lower part of the leaf is a lighter shade of green than the top, with petioles approximately 2 mm long. The plant produces blue, purple-red, and purple corollas that are 2.3-3 cm long, arranged in terminal racemes 7-15 cm long that often congregate into panicles at the apex of stems. The fruits are oblong, dark brown, 1.5 mm tall, and 1 mm in diameter.
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Where Found
Chinese Skullcap is native to several East Asian countries and regions including China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, and the Russian Far East (including Eastern Siberia, Amur Oblast, and Primorye). It has been intentionally cultivated and propagated in numerous European and American countries.
The plant thrives on dry terrain and sunny grassy slopes at altitudes of 60-2000 meters. It is abundantly distributed throughout China, particularly in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, Gansu, Shanxi, Shandong, and Sichuan provinces. China is the main producer of Scutellaria baicalensis for medicinal use.
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Medicinal Properties
Chinese Skullcap has been extensively studied and demonstrates a wide range of pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial, antiviral, cardiovascular protective, and immune-modulating effects.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese Skullcap is considered to have bitter and cold properties, with effects of clearing away heat and dampness, eliminating fire pathology, detoxifying, and preventing bleeding and fetal restlessness. According to TCM theory, it is associated with the lung and liver meridians.
Modern pharmacological research has confirmed many traditional uses, showing that the plant’s flavonoids can inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes, providing significant anti-inflammatory activity. The herb also demonstrates promising antiviral properties, with studies indicating that baicalin can inhibit the replication of certain viruses including influenza and herpes viruses.
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Biochemical Information
Chinese Skullcap contains a diverse array of phytochemical constituents, with more than 100 compounds identified. The major bioactive components include:
Flavonoids (Primary active compounds):
- Baicalin (C21H18O11) – the most abundant flavonoid and primary bioactive compound
- Baicalein (C15H10O5) – the aglycone form of baicalin
- Wogonoside
- Wogonin (C16H12O5)
- Scutellarin
- Scutellarein
- Oroxylin A (C16H12O5)
- Norwogonin
- Chrysin
- Various glycosides and glucuronides
Other compounds:
- Volatile oils (including acetophenone, palmitic acid, oleic acid)
- Terpenoids (with antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects)
- Polysaccharides (water-soluble, mainly composed of arabinose, galactose, and glucose)
- Amino acids (14 types, with proline being the most abundant)
- Sterols (α-spinasterol and β-sitosterol)
- Phenolic compounds
- Lignin glycosides
- Trace elements
Legends, Myths and Stories
Chinese Skullcap has a rich history dating back over 2000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was first recorded in the Shennong Bencaojing (The Classic of Herbal Medicine), written between 200-250 AD during the Han Dynasty, for treatment of bitter, cold, lung, and liver problems.
The name “Huang Qin” has significant meaning in Chinese culture: “Huang” (黄) means yellow, referring to the golden-yellow color of the dried root, while “Qin” (芩) is equivalent to “Jin” (金), meaning golden herb. This etymology reflects the plant’s valued medicinal properties and distinctive appearance.
Li Shizhen, the famous author of Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), first published in 1593, reported his successful self-administration of Chinese Skullcap to treat a severe lung infection when he was 20 years old, demonstrating the confidence traditional practitioners had in this herb.
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Uses
Traditional medicinal uses include treatment of:
- Diarrhea and dysentery
- Hypertension
- Hemorrhaging and bleeding disorders
- Insomnia and sleep disorders
- Inflammation and inflammatory conditions
- Respiratory infections including pneumonia and flu
- Fever and cold symptoms
- Jaundice and liver conditions
- Headache and abdominal pain
- Bacterial and viral infections
- Cancer (various types)
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Neurological disorders
Modern clinical applications:
- Osteoarthritis (in combination with other herbs)
- Hepatitis and liver protection
- Diabetes management
- Cancer treatment (as adjuvant therapy)
- Neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases
- Cardiovascular protection
- Immune system support
- Anti-aging applications
Animal husbandry applications:
- Feed additive to improve growth performance in livestock
- Treatment of mastitis in dairy cattle
- Prevention of bacterial and viral diseases in animals
- Improvement of meat quality and antioxidant capacity
- Stress reduction in farm animals
Industrial and cosmetic applications:
- Antibacterial plastics and composite materials
- UV-resistant silk products
- Cosmetic ingredients for whitening and anti-aging
- Natural preservatives
Chinese Skullcap is frequently used in classical prescriptions such as Mahuang Shengma decoction, Xiexin decoction, and Huangqin decoction. In modern clinical practice, it appears in over 477 prescriptions for treating 153 main diseases, with cold and cough being the most frequent applications.
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Formulas or Dosages
Note: There isn’t enough reliable information to establish standardized dosing recommendations for Chinese Skullcap. Clinical studies in humans are limited, and most research has been conducted in laboratory settings or animal models.
