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Systemic and Local Drug Delivery for Treating Diseases of the Central Nervous System in Rodent Models
Published on: August 16, 2010
Therapeutic potential of scutellarin in central nervous system: A comprehensive review
Liyuan Ma1, Siyin Chen2, Qingya Jia2
1State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611137, China; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Background:
Scutellarin (SCU) is a flavone glycoside mainly isolated from Erigeron breviscapus (Vant.) Hand. -Mazza, which is a type of medicinal herb broadly utilized in central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Although Scu possesses remarkable therapeutic actions on CNS disorders, the underlying mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and safety issues are elusive. Meanwhile, the clinical trial and pharmaceutical study of SCU remain to be systematically delineated.
Purpose:
The main purpose is to comprehensively summarize the updated information regarding the pharmacological actions, clinical studies, safety issues, pharmacokinetics and novel formulations of SCU used for CNS, to point out species of interest for further studies.
Methods:
The systematic search for SCU treatments for CNS disorders was performed considering all the articles published until November 2025 through multiple authoritative databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and so on. The keywords included "scutellarin", "breviscapine", "central nervous system disorders", "ischemic stroke", "Alzheimer's disease", "pharmacokinetic", "clinical studies", and "novel preparation technology". All articles reporting the use of SCU to treat CNS disorders were retained for further analysis.
Results:
A total of 223 articles published between 2003 and 2026 were included, covering ten CNS diseases such as ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Regarding pharmacological mechanisms of SCU, 33 studies focused on oxidative stress, 48 on inflammatory responses, and 16 on mitochondrial function. Evidence from 23 clinical trials indicated that SCU has therapeutic potential for CNS diseases. Toxicity studies demonstrated good safety profile at therapeutic doses of SCU. Pharmacokinetic data revealed its rapid absorption, low bioavailability, and efficient systemic clearance (16 studies). Additionally, 22 studies indicated that novel formulations significantly improved the biological half-life and enhanced the bioavailability of SCU.
Conclusions:
SCU is expected to become a pivotal phytochemical agent for the CNS protection. Extensive and intensive explorations on SCU are imperative to accelerate the utilization of SCU in the CNS disorders.
