Scientists at the John Innes Center have discovered a large number of therapeutic effects in the plant Scutellaria baicalensis, due to which the herb known as Scutellaria baicalensis can be used in the treatment of cancer as well as liver diseases. Studies of the miraculous properties of the plant, which, by the way, have long been successfully used in traditional medicine in China, appeared in the pages of Science Advances.
The roots of Scutellaria baicalensis are distinguished by a high content of so-called flavones - special organic substances that not only possess antioxidant and antiviral properties, but are also capable of destroying malignant tumor cells without affecting healthy cells. The effectiveness of the Baikal skullcap was confirmed by a series of experiments on animals.
The flavones wogonin and baicalin, present in the chemical composition of the plant, are distinguished by a unique feature - they lack the hydroxyl group typical of flavones, while the specific mechanism that would explain its absence is unknown. Perhaps, the researchers found, this is due to the synthesis of baicalin and wogonin based on chrysin, a testosterone stimulant that also has anti-cancer properties.