Search Results (11)

The incidence of kidney diseases has been increasing due to changes in modern lifestyles and the ecological environment. The progression of kidney disease is characterized by ongoing renal damage and a gradual decline in renal function, ultimately leading to end-stage renal disease. The limitations of present medications have brought many disadvantages to patients. Consequently, identifying bioactive molecules has emerged as a critical strategy in the development of novel therapies for kidney diseases, particularly those derived from natural medicinal resources. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of renoprotective effects and underlying mechanisms of the medicinal plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi based on evidence retrieved from multiple databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, and CNKI. Flavonoids from S. baicalensis have been demonstrated to have good renoprotective properties by mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress, inhibiting cell apoptosis, reducing renal fibrosis, etc. Baicalein, wogonin, baicalin, and wogonoside are considered as the main bioactive components of the renoprotective effect of S. baicalensis. Further research on candidate molecules derived from S. baicalensis represents a promising strategy for the development of novel therapeutic agents targeting kidney diseases. Full article

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex nervous system disorder characterized by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons, leading to disturbances in movement, such as resting tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, or akinesia; postural issues; and freezing (motor block). Due to the limitations and side effects of current pharmacological treatments, there is a growing interest in investigating the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants. Methods: A semi-systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus as main databases, identifying original research articles, systematic reviews, and relevant preclinical or clinical studies published between January 2000 and December 2024. We selected seven plants primarily for their neuroprotective effects, supported by preclinical and animal data. Only articles in English were included in the study. Results: Seventeen articles were included in the study. The results showed that Curcuma longa, Gastrodia elata blume, Ginkgo biloba, Paeonia alba radix, Pueraria lobata, Scutellaria baicalensis, and Withania somnifera have a neuroprotective role, capable of slowing down the progression of PD with different mechanisms of action, ranging from restorative properties of neurons. Conclusions: Developing new drugs based on the respective herb compounds/extracts and herbal formulas is a promising avenue for complementary therapies for PD. However, further preclinical and clinical studies are required to confirm their safety, efficacy, bioavailability, and dosage. Full article

The plant material Scutellariae baicalensis radix, which is rich in flavones (baicalin), possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This work aimed to develop a 3D-printed chitosan-based hydrogel rich in Scutellariae baicalensis extract as an innovative approach for the personalized treatment of periodontal diseases. Chitosan-based hydrogels were prepared, and the printability of the prepared hydrogels was determined. The hydrogel with 2.5% w/v of high molecular-weight chitosan (CS), 2% w/v gelatin (Gel), and 10% w/w of extract (Ex) presented the best printability, producing smooth and uniform scaffolds. It was proved that the CS/Gel/Ex hydrogel was stabilized by hydrogen bonds and remained in amorphous dispersion in the 3D-printed structures (confirmed by ATR-FTIR and XRPD). Due to the amorphization of the active substance, a significant increase in the release of baicalin in vitro was observed. It was demonstrated that there was an initial burst release and a continuous release profile (n = 3). Higuchi kinetic was the most likely baicalin release kinetic. The second fit, the Korsmeyer–Peppas kinetics model, showed coupled diffusion of the active ingredient in the hydrated matrix and polymer relaxation regulated release, with n values ranging from 0.45 to 0.89. The anti-inflammatory properties of 3D-printed scaffolds were assessed as the ability to inhibit the activity of the hyaluronidase enzyme. Activity was assessed as IC₅₀ = 63.57 ± 4.98 mg hydrogel/mL (n = 6). Cytotoxicity tests demonstrated the biocompatibility of the material. After 24 h of exposure to the 2.5CS/2Gel/10Ex scaffold, fibroblasts migrated toward the scratch, closed the “wound” by 97.1%, and significantly accelerated the wound healing process. The results render the 3D-printed CS/Gel/extract scaffolds as potential candidates for treating periodontal diseases. Full article

Hot Melt Extrusion (HME) technology was developed to obtain blends containing lyophilized Scutellariae baicalensis root extract and chitosan in order to improve the rheological properties of the obtained blends, including tableting and compressibility properties. (Hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose (HPMC) in 3 different ratios was used as amorphous matrix formers. The systems were characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (PXRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR), and in vitro release, permeability, and microbiological activity studies. Then, the extrudates were used to prepare tablets in order to give them the appropriate pharmaceutical form. HPMC-based systems released baicalin more slowly, resulting in delayed peaks in the acceptor fluid. This behavior can be explained by the fact that HPMC swells significantly, and the dissolved substance must have diffused through the polymer network before being released. The best tabletability properties are provided by the formulation containing the extrudate with lyophilized extract HPMC 50:50 w/w. These tablets offer a valuable baicalin release profile while maintaining good mucoadhesive properties that condition the tablet’s retention in the application site and the effectiveness of therapy. Full article

The aim of the study was to establish the influence of chitosan on the preparation of systems containing Scutellariae baicalensis radix extract and to demonstrate the potential of anti-inflammatory action for the treatment of periodontitis. In the first stage, the impact of the variables (extraction mixture composition, temperature, and the number of extraction cycles) on the extracted samples’ biological characteristics was analyzed using the Design of Experiments (DoE) approach. The best conditions for baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin extraction from Scutellariae baicalensis radix were 80% methanol in the extraction mixture, 70 °C, and 4 cycles per 60 min. The DoE approach can be used to choose the best chitosan system parameters with equal success. An increase in the deacetylation degree of chitosan used in the system improved the potential for reducing free radicals and inhibiting the hyaluronidase enzyme. Also, increasing the degree of chitosan deacetylation results in increased resistance of the carrier to biodegradation and an extended baicalin release profile, which is also associated with an increase in the viscosity of the chitosan-based system. In total, the system of a freeze-dried extract with chitosan 90/500 in the ratio of 2:1 (system S9) turns out to be the one with the best physicochemical (high percentage of baicalin release and the highest viscosity conditioning the prolonged stay at the site of administration) and biological properties (the highest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities), resulting in the highest potential for use in the treatment of oral inflammatory diseases. Full article

Scutellarie baicalensis radix, as a flavone-rich source, exhibits antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity. It may be used as a therapeutic agent to treat various diseases, including vaginal infections. In this study, six binary mixtures of chitosan with stable S. baicalensis radix lyophilized extract were obtained and identified by spectral (ATR-FTIR, XRPD) and thermal (TG and DSC) methods. The changes in dissolution rates of active compounds and the significant increase in the biological properties towards metal chelating activity were observed, as well as the inhibition of hyaluronic acid degradation after mixing plant extract with chitosan. Moreover, the combination of S. baicalensis radix lyophilized extract with a carrier allowed us to obtain the binary systems with a higher antifungal activity than the pure extract, which may be effective in developing new strategies in the vaginal infections treatment, particularly vulvovaginal candidiasis. Full article

Scutellaria baicalensis root displays anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties due to the presence of flavonoids, particularly baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin. Our work aimed at developing thermosensitive hydrogels containing a binary mixture of S. baicalensis radix lyophilized extract and chitosan as a novel approach for periodontal diseases treatment. Two types of chitosan were employed in preliminary studies on binary mixtures with S. baicalensis radix lyophilized extract standardized for baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin. Thermosensitive hydrogels were prepared of poloxamer 407, alginate sodium, and cellulose derivatives and evaluated in terms of rheological and mucoadhesive behavior. The presence of chitosan altered the release profile of active compounds but did not affect their in vitro permeation behavior in PAMPA assay. The synergistic effects of S. baicalensis radix lyophilized extract and chitosan toward ferrous ion-chelating activity, inhibition of hyaluronidase, and pathogen growth were observed. The thermosensitive gelling system showed shear-thinning properties, gelation temperature between 25 and 27 °C, and favorable mucoadhesiveness in contact with porcine buccal mucosa, which was enhanced in the presence of binary mixture of S. baicalensis radix extract and chitosan. The release tests showed that baicalin and baicalein were liberated in a prolonged manner with a fast onset from hydrogel formulations. Full article

Wogonin is one of the most active flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (baikal skullcap), widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. It exhibits a broad spectrum of health-promoting and therapeutic activities. Together with baicalein, it is considered to be the one of main active ingredients of Chinese medicines for the management of COVID-19. However, therapeutic use of wogonin may be limited due to low market availability connected with its low content in baikal skullcap and lack of efficient preparative methods for obtaining this compound. Although the amount of wogonin in skullcap root often does not exceed 0.5%, this material is rich in wogonin glucuronide, which may be used as a substrate for wogonin production. In the present study, a rapid, simple, cheap and effective method of wogonin and baicalein preparation, which provides gram quantities of both flavonoids, is proposed. The obtained wogonin was used as a substrate for biotransformation. Thirty-six microorganisms were tested in screening studies. The most efficient were used in enlarged scale transformations to determine metabolism of this xenobiotic. The major phase I metabolism product was 4′-hydroxywogonin—a rare flavonoid which exhibits anticancer activity—whereas phase II metabolism products were glucosides of wogonin. The present studies complement and extend the knowledge on the effect of substitution of A- and B-ring on the regioselective glycosylation of flavonoids catalyzed by microorganisms. Full article

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae) is the source of the well-known traditional Chinese medicine “HuangQin” (Radix Scutellariae). Natural sources of S. baicalensis are rapidly declining due to high market demand and overexploitation. Moreover, the commercial products of Radix Scutellariae have often been found to contain adulterants in recent years, which may give rise to issues regarding drug efficacy and safety. In this study, we developed valuable chloroplast molecular resources by comparing intraspecific and interspecific chloroplast genome. The S. baicalensis chloroplast genome is a circular molecule consisting of two single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats. Comparative analyses of three Scutellaria chloroplast genomes revealed six variable regions (trnH-psbA, trnK-rps16, petN-psbM, trnT-trnL, petA-psbJ, and ycf1) that could be used as DNA barcodes. There were 25 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) and 29 indels between the two S. baicalensis genotypes. All of the indels occurred within non-coding regions. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that Scutellarioideae is a sister taxon to Lamioideae. These resources could be used to explore the variation present in Scutellaria populations and for further evolutionary, phylogenetic, barcoding and genetic engineering studies, in addition to effective exploration and conservation of S. baicalensis. Full article

Scutellariae radix, the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, has long been applied in traditional formulations and modern herbal medications. Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) in follicles can trigger inflammation and lead to the symptom of inflammatory acnes vulgaris. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of Scutellariae radix extract and purified components isolated from it on inflammation induced by P. acnes in vitro and in vivo. The results showed the ethyl acetate (EA) soluble fraction from the partition of crude ethanolic extract from Scutellariae radix inhibited P. acnes-induced interleukin IL-8 and IL-1β production in human monocytic THP-1 cells. Seven flavones were isolated from the EA fraction by repeated chromatographies, and identified as 5,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone (FL1, oroxylin), 5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone (FL2, wogonin), 5-hydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavone (FL3, 7-O-methylwogonin), 5,6′-dihydroxy-6,7,8,2′-tetramethoxy flavone (FL4, skullcapflavone II), 5,7,4′-trihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone (FL5), 5,2′,6′-trihydroxy-7,8-dimethoxyflavone (FL6, viscidulin II), and 5,7,2′,5′-tetrahydroxy-8,6′-dimethoxyflavone (FL7, ganhuangenin). They all significantly suppressed P. acnes-induced IL-8 and IL-1β production in THP-1 cells, and FL2 exerted the strongest effect with half maximal inhibition (IC₅₀) values of 8.7 and 4.9 μM, respectively. Concomitant intradermal injection of each of the seven flavones (20 μg) with P. acnes effectively attenuated P. acnes-induced ear swelling, and decreased the production of IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in ear homogenates. Our results suggested that all the seven flavones can be potential therapeutic agents against P. acnes-induced skin inflammation. Full article

Scutellariae radix (S. radix) is one of the most important crude drugs used in Kampo medicines (KMs). A part of its pharmaceutical properties is due to flavone glycoside, baicalin (BI). A technique named eastern blotting was developed for the specific and easy identification of BI in the extracts of crude drugs and KMs using anti-BI monoclonal antibody (MAb). BI separated by silica gel thin-layer chromatography (TLC) transferred to a polyethersulfone (PES) membrane was treated with a NaIO₄ solution and reacted with bovine serum albumin (BSA) preparing BI-BSA conjugate on the PES membrane. Anti-BI MAb was bound and then antibody labeled with peroxidase directed against anti-BI MAb. Finally, a substrate was added and then BI was detected. As little as 1 mg of BI was still detected on the PES membrane under immunostaining method. Various samples of S. radix and KMs which contain S. radix were qualitatively analyzed, and BI was visually detected by eastern blotting technique. Furthermore, this method was applied for the immunohistochemical study to investigate the distribution of BI in the fresh root of Scutellaria baicalensis using immunoblotting by transferred from fresh root to the PES membrane. Full article