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Lamiaceae Taxonomy Browser
Scutellaria lateriflora L.
EOL Text
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 5
Specimens with Barcodes: 12
Species With Barcodes: 1
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
The preference is light shade to full sun, wet to moist conditions, and soil with abundant organic matter. Shallow rocky or gravelly soil is tolerated if it retains moisture during dry spells.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2014 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/md_skullcap.htm |
Uses: MEDICINE/DRUG
Scutellaria lateriflora, known commonly as blue skullcap and mad dog skullcap,[1][2] is a hardy perennial herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to North America.
It has an upright habit, growing 60 to 80 centimeters in maximum height.[3][4] It is a wetland-loving species and grows near marshes, meadows, and other wet habitat. The blue flowers are just under a centimeter long.[3][4] Most of the flowers do not appear at the top of the main stem, but are produced along the length of side branches that grow from the leaf axils.
Traditional uses[edit]
Scutellaria lateriflora is used in herbal medicine as a mild sedative and sleep promoter.[citation needed] Other skullcaps used for similar purposes include common skullcap (S. galericulata), western skullcap (S. canescens), and southern skullcap (S. cordifolia). In a small-scale double blind, placebo-controlled study, blue skullcap had anxiety-reducing effects in 19 volunteers.[5] S. lateriflora, along with reducing anxiety, significantly enhanced global mood without a reduction in energy or cognition. [6]
β-Elemene in the herb had potential anti-cancer properties in vitro,[7] but studies in humans have not confirmed its effectiveness.[8]Diterpenes isolated from S. barbata had cytotoxic activity against three human cancer cell lines in vitro.[9]
Pharmacology[edit]
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This section needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the section and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be removed. (April 2014) |
The principal phenolics in the leaves, stems, and roots of some Scutellaria species are baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, and oroxylin A.[10][11] Baicalin has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in a rat model of thermal hyperalgesia.[12][13] Another study identifies 5,6,7-trihydroxy-2'- methoxyflavone and its 7-O-glucuronide.[14] 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.[15]
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 about 50 milligrams of flavonoid per gram. The flavonoids are readily extracted using hot water.[13] A flavonoid-rich ethanolic extract of S. lateriflora protected hydrogen peroxide-UV induced cleavage of supercoiled plasmid DNA. Furthermore, these researchers found that the antioxidant effect of S. lateriflora based on the reduction of lipid peroxidation was comparable with that of the well-established and widely used antioxidant alpha-tocopherol.[16]
Scutellarin is transformed by hydrolysis into scutellarein.
Composition[edit]
Chemical | Concentration (mg/g) |
---|---|
alpha-cubebene | 42 |
alpha-humulene | 42 |
beta-elemene | 92 |
calamenene | 152 |
delta-cadinene | 270 |
Chemical | Concentration (mg/g) |
---|---|
carbohydrates | 780 |
ascorbic acid | 1 |
baicalin | 10[17] |
scutellarin | |
scutellarein | |
tannin | 28-35 |
wax | 12 |
See also[edit]
- Piper methysticum (kava), another anxiolytic GABAergic plant
- Valeriana officinalis (valerian), a sedative GABAergic plant
References[edit]
- ^ Scutellaria lateriflora. NatureServe. 2012.
- ^ mad dog, n. -compounds Oxford English Dictionary - mad dog because it was a supposed cure for hydrophobia,
- ^ a b Jepson Manual Treatment
- ^ a b Washington Burke Museum
- ^ Wolfson, P. and D. L. Hoffmann. (2002). An investigation into the efficacy of Scutellaria lateriflora in healthy volunteers. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 9(2), 74-78.
- ^ Brock C, Whitehouse J, Tewfik I, Towell T (2014). "American Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora): a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study of its effects on mood in healthy volunteers.". Phytother Res: 692–8. doi:10.1002/ptr.5044. PMID 23878109.
- ^ Li, Q. Q., et al. (2010). Antineoplastic effect of β-elemene on prostate cancer cells and other types of solid tumour cells. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 62(8), 1018-27.
- ^ Peng, X., et al. (2006). Assessing the quality of RCTs on the effect of β-elemene, one ingredient of a Chinese herb, against malignant tumors. Contemporary Clinical Trials 27(1), 70-82.
- ^ Qu, G. W., et al. (2010). Two new cytotoxic ent-clerodane diterpenoids from Scutellaria barbata. Journal of Asian Natural Products Research 12(10), 859-64.
- ^ Nishikawa, K., et al. (1999). Phenolics in tissue cultures of Scutellaria. Natural Medicines 53(4), 209-13.
- ^ Li J, Ding Y, Li XC, Ferreira D, Khan S, Smillie T et al. (2009). "Scuteflorins A and B, dihydropyranocoumarins from Scutellaria lateriflora". J. Nat. Prod. 72 (6): 983–7. doi:10.1021/np900068t. PMID 19555121.
- ^ "The Antiinflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Baicalin in Carrageenan-Evoked Thermal Hyperalgesia". Anesth Analg 97: 1724–1729. 2003. doi:10.1213/01.ane.0000087066.71572.3f.
- ^ a b Comparison of the Chemical Composition of Extracts from Scutellaria lateriflora Using Accelerated Solvent Extraction and Supercritical Fluid Extraction versus Standard Hot Water or 70% Ethanol Extraction. J. Agric. Food Chem., 53 (8), 3076 -3080, 2005
- ^ Analysis of Scutellaria lateriflora and its adulterant Teucrium canadense by HPLC-UV and HPLC-UV/MS, Tom's of Maine, PO Box 710, Kennebunk, ME 04043. USA.
- ^ Medina, J. H., et al. (1997). Overview – Flavonoids: A new family of benzodiazepine receptor ligands. Neurochemical Research 22(4), 419-25.
- ^ Lohani et al. Nat Prod Commun. 2013 Oct;8(10):1415-18
- ^ P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scutellaria_lateriflora&oldid=643418582 |
This is probably the most common Scutellaria sp. (Skullcap) in central and northern Illinois. Mad-Dog Skullcap is fairly easy to identify because it has the smallest flowers in this genus (up to 1/3" long) and it produces abundant axillary racemes. Other Skullcaps have larger flowers that they produce in pairs along the stems, or in terminal racemes only (for the most part). The Skullcaps can be distinguished from other members of the Mint family by their oddly-shaped calyxes and seedpods (see the descriptions above). In some species, the lobes of the seedpods have a concave surface that resembles the inside of a skullcap, hence the common name for species in this genus. At one time, there was a belief that Mad-Dog Skullcap could cure rabies, which is false. However, the foliage contains a substance with anti-spasmodic and sedative properties, so it does have some medicinal value.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2014 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/md_skullcap.htm |
This native perennial plant is 12½' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are light green to pale reddish-green, 4-angled, and hairless or sparsely canescent; they have a tendency to sprawl. The blades of the opposite leaves are up to 3" long and 2" across; they are cordate-ovate to broadly lanceolate, hairless, and coarsely serrated along the margins. On the upper surface of each leaf blade, there is a conspicuous network of veins. The petioles of the leaves are light green to pale reddish green, slender, and up to 1" long. Both terminal and axillary racemes of flowers are produced by the upper stems. Each slender raceme is up to 6" long, consisting of about 6-7 pairs of flowers; the axillary racemes spread outward from their stems. Underneath each flower, there is a short leafy bract. Each flower is up to 1/3" in length, consisting of a tubular corolla and a tubular calyx. The corolla is pale blue, lavender, or white; it has short upper and lower lips. The lower is lip is often white, while the upper lip is often a slightly darker color. The calyx is light green or pale reddish green, hairless or sparsely canescent, and divided into 2 shallow lobes. Behind the upper lobe is a short dish-like projection that is typical of Scutellaria spp. (Skullcaps). The pedicel of each flower is slender and short. The blooming period occurs during the summer and early fall, lasting about 1½2 months for a colony of plants. Usually, only a few flowers are in bloom at the same time in a raceme. There is no noticeable floral scent. Each flower is replaced by an oddly-shaped seed capsule that contains 4 nutlets. This capsule consists of 2 lobes that are joined at the base, but spread slightly apart from each other at their tips; these lobes are somewhat flattened and round along their margins. The root system consists of a taproot and either rhizomes or stolons. Small colonies of plants are often produced from the rhizomes or stolons.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | Copyright © 2002-2014 by Dr. John Hilty |
Source | http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/md_skullcap.htm |
Canada
Origin: Unknown/Undetermined
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Unknown/Undetermined
Confidence: Confident
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident