[The Baikal scullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi)--a potential source of new drugs]

The scullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) is a medicinal plant of traditional Chinese medicine and the drug--Scutellariae radix--is, because of its antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antiallergic, and sedative properties, the subject of intensive development. This paper reports the results of pharmacological-toxicological studies of this drug and its flavonids approximately from the year 1990 till the year 2001. The results confirm the validity of traditional use and at the same time indicate that some flavonoids have more utilizable therapeutic effects. Mainly baicalein seems to be a prospective medicine for the treatment of some kinds of cancer.