Root of Baikal Skullcap

Chinese
黄芩
Pinyin
Huang Qin
Latin
Radix Scutellariae

TCM Properties

Taste
bitter
Temperature
cold
Channels
Lung, Gallbladder, Spleen, Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Heart, Stomach

Traditional Use

Primary Actions

  • Clears Heat and dries Dampness
  • Purges Fire and resolves toxicity
  • Stops bleeding due to Blood Heat
  • Calms the fetus

Secondary Actions

  • Drains Heat from the upper burner
  • Clears Lung Heat and stops cough

Classic Formulas

  • Xiao Chai Hu Tang — addresses half-exterior, half-interior conditions with alternating fever and chills
  • Huang Qin Tang — treats Heat-driven diarrhea with abdominal pain

Classical References

  • Shang Han Lun (Zhang Zhongjing): Huang Qin is the principal herb for clearing Heat from the Shaoyang interior

Modern Research

Active Compounds

  • Baicalein
  • Baicalin
  • Wogonin
  • Wogonoside
  • Oroxylin A

Studied Effects

  • Baicalein induces apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer by inhibiting the glutamine-mTOR metabolic pathway (PMID 38432394)
  • Baicalein triggers ferroptosis in colorectal cancer cells via JAK2/STAT3/GPX4 axis suppression (PMID 38684798)
  • Total flavonoids exhibit cardiovascular protective effects via multiple mechanisms (PMID 36152591)

PubMed References

Safety & Interactions

Contraindications

  • Spleen-Stomach deficiency cold
  • Cold-type diarrhea
  • Lung cold with cough
  • Blood deficiency conditions
  • Kidney Yang deficiency with loose stools

Cautions

  • Hepatotoxicity reported in case reports; monitor liver function with prolonged use
  • Pneumonitis (lung inflammation) reported rarely
  • May elevate triglycerides and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein

Drug Interactions

  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (e.g., warfarin) — Baicalin has antithrombotic activity; additive effect may increase bleeding risk (Moderate) Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering
  • Statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) — Decreases blood levels of statin drugs, reducing cholesterol-lowering efficacy; documented in healthy volunteers (Moderate) Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering
  • CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 substrates — Wogonin inhibits CYP1A2 and CYP2C19 enzymes; may increase plasma levels and adverse effects of affected drugs (Unknown) Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering
  • SLC transporter substrates — Baicalein, baicalin, and wogonin inhibit SLC uptake transporters; may alter pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs (Unknown) Source: Memorial Sloan Kettering

Conditions