Scutellaria baicalensis
# Scutellaria baicalensis

Scutellaria baicalensis, with the common name Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae.

## Distribution

The plant is native to China, Korea, Mongolia, and Russia in the Russian Far East and Siberia.

## Traditional Chinese medicine

It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it has the name huángqín (Chinese: 黄芩). As a Chinese traditional medicine, huang qin usually refers to the dried root of S. baicalensis Georgi, S. viscidula Bge., S. amoena C.H. Wright, and S. ikoninkovii Ju.

### Phytochemicals

Several phytochemicals have been isolated from the root; baicalein, baicalin, wogonin, norwogonin, oroxylin A and β-sitosterol are the major ones.

### Names

As the term 'skullcap' is applied to over 200 plant varieties, the scientific name is used. Sometimes, Scutellaria lateriflora (North American skullcap) is mistaken for S. baicalensis.

### Adverse effects

There have been several reports and small case series of acute liver injury with jaundice arising 1 to 3 months after starting herbal or dietary supplements containing S. baicalensis.

