American Skullcap Aerial

What is skullcap and how is it used?
The name skullcap refers to any plant in the Scutellaria family, though American and Chinese varieties are most commonly used in natural medicine.

American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is a perennial herb native to North America. In bloom, the plant is covered in tiny, tubular blue flowers, although color can vary (2).

The leaves of American skullcap have been used in traditional herbal medicine as a sedative and to treat conditions like anxiety and convulsions. The plant was prized by Native Americans for its powerful medicinal properties (3Trusted Source).

Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is native to several Asian countries, as well as Russia.

The dried roots of this plant have been used for centuries as a traditional Chinese medicine known as Huang Qin to treat diarrhea, insomnia, dysentery, high blood pressure, hemorrhaging, respiratory infections, and inflammation (1Trusted Source).

In Asia, Huang Qin is used in herbal remedies, such as Xiao Chai Hu Tang or Sho-saiko-to (SST), a popular formulation used to treat conditions like fevers, gastrointestinal issues, and liver disease (1Trusted Source).

Both American and Chinese skullcap are available as supplements that can be purchased online or in health food stores. Other varieties, such as Scutellaria barbata, are also used in alternative medicine and have been studied for their potential health benefits.

Skullcap is sold in capsules, powders, and liquid extracts. Dried parts of the plant, such as its leaves, are likewise used to brew tea.

SUMMARY
American and Chinese skullcap are flowering plants commonly used in natural medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including insomnia, inflammation, and diarrhea.

Potential benefits of skullcap
Supplementing with skullcap may provide several benefits, though research in most of these areas is limited.

May boost mood and reduce anxiety
American skullcap has been shown to boost mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety.

A study in 43 people found that those who received 1,050 mg of American skullcap daily for 2 weeks reported significant enhancements in mood compared to a placebo group (4Trusted Source).

It’s thought that American skullcap positively impacts mood and reduces anxiety by stimulating gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that helps calm nerves (5Trusted Source).

Notably, this plant was used in traditional medicine practices as a sedative and treatment for conditions like insomnia and anxiety.

In fact, many anti-anxiety medications work similarly by enhancing GABA activity (6Trusted Source).

Has antibacterial and antiviral effects
Scutellaria (S.) barbata — also known as barbat skullcap — is another species with medicinal properties. Studies indicate that it has powerful antiviral and antibacterial effects.

One test-tube study sampled over 30 Chinese herbs and found that only S. barbata extract demonstrated 100% antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumannii (XDRAB), a bacterium that is a leading cause of pneumonia in hospitalized patients (7Trusted Source).

Furthermore, this extract showed better antibacterial effects than colistin, a common antibiotic.

The same study demonstrated that S. barbata was also effective in reducing XDRAB bacterial load in the lungs of mice, compared to a control group(7Trusted Source).

What’s more, Chinese skullcap is purported to have antibacterial effects and is a component of an herbal mixture called Candbactin, a popular natural remedy used to treat intestinal bacterial overgrowth (8Trusted Source).

Contains anti-inflammatory and anticancer compounds
Both American and Chinese skullcap contain an array of beneficial plant compounds, including antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory effects and protect your cells from damage caused by molecules called free radicals.

Oxidative stress, which results from an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, is linked to a number of chronic conditions, such as certain cancers and heart disease (9Trusted Source).

Notably, baicalin, a flavonoid antioxidant in both American and Chinese skullcap, has demonstrated powerful anticancer effects and may help combat oxidative stress.

For example, in test-tube studies, baicalin induced cell death in prostate and cervical cancer cells while significantly inhibiting the growth of ovarian and pancreatic cancer cells (10Trusted Source).

Scutellarein is another American skullcap compound that exhibits potent anticancer potential in test-tube studies (11Trusted Source).

Additionally, animal studies reveal that wogonin, a flavonoid compound in Chinese and American skullcap, is particularly effective in treating inflammatory allergic conditions like allergic rhinitis (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).

It’s worth noting that Chinese and American skullcap contain many other anti-inflammatory compounds. In fact, over 50 flavonoids have been isolated from the Chinese species alone (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

Other potential benefits
Skullcap has been linked to several other benefits, including:

Anticonvulsant effects. Orally supplementing with American skullcap has been shown to have anticonvulsant effects in rodents (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
Insomnia. Baicalin, a compound found in both American and Chinese skullcap, is used to treat insomnia in traditional medicine practices. However, research is lacking (17Trusted Source).
Neurodegenerative disease. Some test-tube studies suggest that American skullcap may have neuroprotective properties, potentially safeguarding against diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
Heart health. In one animal study, baicalin injections significantly reduced damage associated with an induced heart attack (20Trusted Source).
Although these effects are promising, more research is needed to determine whether skullcap is an effective treatment for these conditions.