Everything about Scutellaria Lateriflora totally explained
Scutellaria lateriflora, also known as
Blue skullcap,
Hoodwort,
Virginian skullcap, is a hardy
perennial herb native to North America. It is a member of the mint family
Lamiaceae, which also includes many other herbs. The form is upright and is usually 0.2m to 0.45m in height
(External Link
) (External Link). It is a wetland loving species and grows along fens and shorelines. The blue flowers appear in July to September and are 10-20mm long. The flowers are in pairs and are all on the same side of the stem. The flowers don't appear at the top of the stem. The name of the species, 'lateriflora' means having 'lateral flowers' or 'flowers to the side.'
Medicinal uses
Scutellaria, as a genus, has numerous medicinal uses and various species of skullcap are used in the same way. It should be noted though that the traditional uses of Virginian Skullcap shouldn't be confused with those of other Skullcaps as there are 200 different species of Skullcap and they're not all used in the same way. Blue skullcap is often used in the same way as for
Common skullcap (S. galericulata),
Western skullcap (S. cordifolia), or
Southern skullcap all of which are very genetically similar. Blue Skullcap and Common Skullcap are mainly known for their traditional use as an incense and herbal teas.
Pharmacology
Scutellarin is transformed by hydrolysis into scutellarein.
The principle phenolics in the leaves, stems, and roots are baicalein and wogonin. . Another study identifies 5,6,7-trihydroxy-2'- methoxyflavone and its 7-0-glucuronide.. A number of the
flavones found in S. lateriflora have been reported to selectively bind with high affinity to central
benzodiazepine receptor sites, leading to the view that the
flavones exert
anxiolytic and other
benzodiazepine effects in rats.
Virginian skullcap contains the
flavonoid glycosides baicalin, dihydrobaicalin and
chrysin glucuronide. Baicalin is known to be
anti-inflammatory and
analgesic.
The
flavonoids are found throughout the plant but are more concentrated in the leaves, and the concentrations are found to decrease slightly as the plant matures. The dried leaf is reported to contain ~50 mg/g of
flavonoids. The
flavonoids are readily extracted using hot water.
Several neo-clerodane diterpenoids with insect anti-feedant activity have been reported from S. laterifolia.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Scutellaria Lateriflora'.
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