Chemical Analysis

Flavonoid content of scullcap hot water extract has been determined using HPLC with a UV detector
(Nagai et al., 1989b).
Interestingly, melatonin, the human pineal gland hormone, has been detected in scullcap at a
concentration of 0.09 g/g (Murch et al., 1997).
Regulatory Status
Scullcap is approved as a nonprescription medication in Canada and is on the General Sales List in the
United Kingdom. Scutellaria baicalensis can be found in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (Anonymous,
1998b). The drug is not regulated in France. In the United States, scullcap is regulated as a dietary
supplement, and has been classified as an "Herb of Undefined Safety" by the FDA (Duke, 1985). A
scullcap monograph was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1863 to 1916 but is currently
not included (Tyler, 1993). Scullcap is not listed in the German Commission E monographs.

Page 221

References
Anonymous. Herbal review: an educational service of sequential healing health services. Available
from: URL: http://www.sequentialhealing.com/herbs/skullcap.html. Accessed on 1998a Oct 23.
Anonymous. Scullcap. The Lawrence review of natural products. St. Louis, MO: Facts and
Comparisons, 1993.
Anonymous. Scullcap substitution. Herbal Gram 1985;2:3.
Anonymous. The Wampole family guide to nutritional supplements. Compiled from Reader's Digest
"Family guide to natural medicine." Available from: URL:
http://www.wampole.ca/english/scullcap.htm. Accessed on 1998b Oct 23.
Crellin JK, Philpott J. Herbal medicine past and present. Vol. II. Durham, NC: Duke University Press,
1990.
Duke JA. Handbook of medicinal herbs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1985.
Foster, S. Germander toxicity and scullcap adulteration [letter]. Med Herbal 1994;6(1). Available from:
URL: http//www.medherb.com/sample.htm. Accessed on 1998 Oct 23.
Franzblau SG, Cross C. J Ethnopharmacol 1986;15:279.
Grieve M. A modern herbal. New York, NY: Dover, 1971.
Harvey J, Colin-Jones DG. Mistletoe hepatitis. Br Med J 1981;282:1867.
Israel D, Youngkin EQ. Herbal therapies for perimenopausal and menopausal complaints.
Pharmacotherapy 1997;17:97084.
Larrey D. Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies. J Hepatol 1997;26(Suppl. 1):4751.
Larrey D, Vial T, Pauwels A, Castot A, Biour M, David M, Michel H. Hepatitis after germander
(Teucrium chamaedrys) administration: another instance of herbal medicine hepatotoxicity. Ann Intern
Med 1992;117:12932.
MacGregor FB, Abernethy VE, Dahabra S, Cobden I, Hayes PC. Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies. Br
Med J 1989;299:11567.
Murch SJ, Simmons CB, Saxena PK. Melatonin in feverfew and other medicinal plants. Lancet
1997;350:15989.
Nagai T, Miyaichi Y, Tomimori T, Yamada H. Inhibition of mouse liver sialidase by plant flavonoids.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1989a;163:2531.
Nagai T, Yamada H, Otsuka Y. Inhibition of mouse liver sialidase by the root of Scutellaria
baicalensis. Planta Med 1989b;55:279.
Phillipson JD, Anderson LA. Herbal remedies used in sedative and antirheumatic preparations: Part 1.
Pharmaceut J 1984;233:802.

Pickup JC, Mattock MB, Crook MA, Chusney GD, Burt D, Fitzgerald AP. Serum siliac acid
concentration and coronary heart disease in NIDDM. Diabetes Care 1995;18:11003.
Razina TG, Udintsev SN, Prishchep TP, Iaremenko KV. Enhancement of the selectivity of the action of
the cytostatics cyclophosphane and 5-fluorouracil by using an extract of the Baikal skullcap in an
experiment. Vopr Onkol 1987;33:804.
Tyler VE. The honest herbal, 3rd edit., Binghamton, NY: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1993.