Scutellaria lateriflora, (commonly "blue skullcap", "mad dog skullcap",Scutellaria lateriflora. NatureServe. 2012.mad dog, n. -compounds Oxford English Dictionary - mad dog because it was a supposed cure for hydrophobia "American skullcap", "side-flowering skullcap", etc.) is a hardy perennial herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to North America.
It has an upright habit, growing in maximum height.Jepson Manual TreatmentWashington Burke Museum It is a wetland-loving species and grows near marshes, meadows, and other wet habitats. The blue flowers are just under long. 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.
Other skullcaps (Scutellaria) species include common skullcap (S. galericulata), western skullcap (S. canescens), and southern skullcap (S. cordifolia).
Phytochemicals
The principal phytochemicals are polyphenols in the leaves, stems, and roots of some Scutellaria species, including baicalin, baicalein, wogonin, and oroxylin A. Other constituents include lateriflorin, melatonin, serotonin, viscidulin III-2'-O-glucoside, Chyrin-6-C-ara-glc, trans-verbascoside, viscidulin, trans-martynoside, oroxylin A-7-O-glc, wogonoside, chitin, and scutellarin. Scutellaria lateriflora contains flavonoids.
One study identified 5,6,7-trihydroxy-2'- methoxyflavone and its 7-O-glucuronide.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. Scutellarin is a flavone found in S. lateriflora and S. barbata. It is transformed by hydrolysis into scutellarein.
Genkwanin, hesperetin, quercetin, rutin, naringenin, chrysin, and daidzein are the flavonoids found in S. lateriflora. The flavonoids are readily extracted using hot water.
The oil from S. lateriflora contains τ-cadinene, calamenene, β-elemene, α-cubebene, and α-humulene.
+ Essential oils Chemical Concentration (mg/g) alpha-cubebene 42 alpha-humulene 42 beta-elemene 92 calamenene 152 delta-cadinene 270
+ Other constituents Chemical Concentration (mg/g) carbohydrates 780 ascorbic acid 1 baicalin 10P.H. and Horhammer, L., Hager's Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, Vols. 2-6, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1969-1979. scutellarin scutellarein tannin 28-35 wax 12
Traditional uses and research Its extracts are used in herbal medicine intended as a mild sedative and sleep promoter. Cherokee women have used it as an emmenagogue.Joshee N, Patrick TS, Mentreddy RS, Yadav AK. 2002. Skullcap: Potential medicinal crop. In: J Janick, A Whipkey (eds). In Trends in New Crops and New Uses. ASHS Press: Alexandria, VA; 580– 586. In 1773, Scutellaria lateriflora became a common treatment in North America for the hysteria and hydrophobia caused by rabies.Scutellaria lateriflora. Southern Cross Plant Science. Southern Cross University.
Skullcap products have been analyzed, with some adulterated by Teucrium canadense or T. chamaedrys, also known as germander, which contains potentially hepatotoxic diterpenes.
References
External links Connecticut Botanical Society: Scutellaria lateriflora Plants For A Future: Scutellaria lateriflora USDA Plants Profile: Scutellaria lateriflora Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases