Abstract
Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) has been widely used as a dietary ingredient and traditional herbal medicine owing to its anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. In this study, we investigated the anti-allergic effects of skullcap and its active compounds, focusing on T cell-mediated responses ex vivo and in vivo. Splenocytes from mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) were isolated for analyses of cytokine production and cell viability. Mice sensitized with OVA were orally administered skullcap or wogonin for 16 days, and then immunoglobulin (Ig) and cytokine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Treatment with skullcap significantly inhibited interleukin (IL)-4 production without reduction of cell viability. Moreover, wogonin, but not baicalin and baicalein, suppressed IL-4 and interferon-gamma production. In vivo, skullcap and wogonin downregulated OVA-induced Th2 immune responses, especially IgE and IL-5 prediction. Wogonin as an active component of skullcap may be applied as a therapeutic agent for IgE- and IL-5-mediated allergic disorders.
Highlights
Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is widely used as both a dietary ingredient and as a traditional herbal medicine in China, Japan, and Korea, to treat inflammation, allergy, and bacterial and viral infections [1,2]
We determined cell viability to confirm whether the inhibitory effect of skullcap extract on IL-4 production was caused by cytotoxicity or cell damage
We found that viability of splenocytes was not significantly different when treated with the skullcap extract (Figure 2B)
Summary
Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is widely used as both a dietary ingredient and as a traditional herbal medicine in China, Japan, and Korea, to treat inflammation, allergy, and bacterial and viral infections [1,2]. More than 60 structures (for example; oroxylin A, paconiflorin, glycyrrhetinic acid, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin and ononin) have been identified [5]. Among these components, baicalein, baicalin, and wogonin are known to be the major flavonoids of skullcap. The anti-allergic effects of components have been studied mainly with mast cell-mediated responses or peripheral immune responses such as atopic dermatitis and asthma [10,11,12]. We investigated the anti-allergic effect of skullcap extract and its known active compounds—baicalein, baicalin, and wogonin (Figure 1), with a focus on the systemic immunity. The effects of skullcap and its active components were evaluated by immunoglobulin (Ig) and cytokine analyses of an OVA-induced Th2 dominant mouse model
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