Supplement
Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)
Herbs · Scutellaria baicalensis, Chinese skullcap, Huang Qin, Huangqin, Ogon, Scutellariae radix, baicalin, baicalein, wogonin
In Chinese medicine, Baikal skullcap is a root drug with a long tradition, known as Huang Qin. Its flavones baicalin, baicalein and wogonin have been studied intensively in the laboratory. In humans there are a few interesting individual studies, but above all a clear liver signal that you should know about.
In short
Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) is a root from traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine whose flavones act anti-inflammatory in the laboratory and, in the case of wogonin, bind to the same receptor as sedatives. In a Chinese study with 374 patients with heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis, baicalin in addition to standard therapy improved blood lipids and inflammation markers, and in a small study it improved glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes. Systematic reviews of human studies are lacking, and most studies test mixtures. The catch: a combination product containing baicalin was recalled in the US after liver and lung damage, and in China the rate of confirmed liver injury under skullcap is 0.095 percent. As a food supplement, the root may be marketed in Germany.
What it is
Scutellaria baicalensis is a perennial member of the mint family whose dried root is known in China as Huang Qin and in Japan as Ogon. In Chinese medicine it has been used for more than 2000 years, for example for inflammatory bowel diseases. In Japan it is part of many Kampo formulas. In English it is called Chinese skullcap.
The most important constituents are flavones: baicalin, its core structure baicalein, the most abundant flavonoid in the root, and wogonin. In stores the root is available as tea or decoction and as powder or extract in food supplements.
Not to be confused with American skullcap
A completely different plant is also sold under the name skullcap: American skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora. Here the leaves and stems are used, traditionally as a tea for anxiety, stress and insomnia. In a study with 43 healthy people it improved mood but not the anxiety score, and in a sleep study with 66 adults it improved the sleep quality index.
American skullcap has its own liver history: in the past it was occasionally adulterated with germander, a plant with liver-damaging diterpenes, and the known liver cases mostly involved mixed products. So check the botanical name on the package. This entry covers Baikal skullcap.
How it is supposed to work
In the laboratory, baicalin and baicalein inhibit inflammatory messengers and enzymes of the inflammatory cascade, act as antioxidants and influence the gut microbiome. Wogonin binds to the benzodiazepine site of the GABA-A receptor, that is, where classic sedatives also act. In mice it had an anxiety-relieving effect like diazepam, without causing tiredness.
In humans, it is mainly the absorption that is established. In phase 1 studies, baicalein reached its peak levels within 2 hours and had a half-life of 7.80 to 14.91 hours, but absorption did not increase in proportion to the dose. Whether the effects seen in the laboratory arrive in the body at sufficient concentration is an open question.
What is well supported
In humans there are some encouraging individual findings. In a double-blind study with 374 patients who had both coronary heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis, participants received 500 mg baicalin daily for 12 weeks in addition to atorvastatin and a biologic for rheumatism. Triglycerides, cholesterol and the inflammatory protein CRP were clearly lower afterwards than under placebo, and 71 versus 53 percent responded well or moderately to the rheumatism therapy.
In a smaller crossover study with type 2 diabetics who were already taking metformin, a skullcap extract improved glucose tolerance and lowered an inflammation marker. Also well studied is how Baikal skullcap interacts with medicines, and in practice that is almost more important than the effect.
What the studies show
Blood lipids and inflammation, 2018
374 patients with coronary heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis in a Chinese hospital took 500 mg baicalin or placebo for 12 weeks, each in addition to atorvastatin and tocilizumab. 166 and 165 patients were analyzed. LDL cholesterol at the end was 1.73 versus 2.42 mmol/L, triglycerides 1.12 versus 1.87 mmol/L. The study is large, but it ran at only one center, has not been repeated, and HDL and LDL are mixed up in the abstract.
Type 2 diabetes with metformin, 2020
People with type 2 diabetes who were already taking metformin additionally received 3.52 g of skullcap extract per day or placebo, 8 weeks each in alternation. Under skullcap, glucose tolerance was better, and Lactobacillus and Akkermansia increased in the gut. In some participants, however, liver values rose.
Cognition in healthy people, 2025
85 healthy adults took a combination of 240 mg skullcap extract and 51 mg Acacia catechu extract or placebo for 4 weeks. Mental performance improved equally in both groups; no difference from placebo was found. No side effects or changes in blood values occurred.
Flavocoxid and the liver, 2012
Flavocoxid, sold in the US as Limbrel for osteoarthritis, consists of baicalin from skullcap and catechins from Acacia catechu. A US registry for drug-induced liver injury found 4 women aged 57 to 68 whose liver values rose sharply 1 to 3 months after starting. All recovered after stopping. By November 2017, the FDA had counted a total of 194 reports, including liver injury, pancreatitis and pneumonitis, and requested the recall, which took place in 2018.
Liver injury in China, 2026
In four clinics for Chinese medicine in Shanghai, liver injury was evaluated in 75,564 patients treated with skullcap. 72 cases were confirmed, which is 0.095 percent. Daily doses above 10 g, that is, above the recommendation of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, clearly increased the risk, and a certain gene variant made people more susceptible.
Where the data stop
We did not find a systematic review or meta-analysis of human studies with Baikal skullcap alone. The many reviews on depression, colitis or fatty liver are based on animal experiments, cell studies or formulas made from several plants. Most human studies test combinations, for example with Acacia catechu, hawthorn or magnesium, so the contribution of skullcap cannot be isolated.
The positive lipid study has not been repeated, the diabetes study is small, and a registered cognition study found no difference from placebo. The baicalein studies are pure safety studies in healthy people, not efficacy studies. In addition, several laboratory papers on flavocoxid have since been retracted. For anxiety, sleep, memory or longevity, there are no robust human data on Baikal skullcap.
Status, approval and legal
According to the substance list of the German federal and state authorities, the root of Scutellaria baicalensis is not considered novel in food supplements. It is also listed there, in list B, as a medicinal substance with a proven pharmacological effect: above a pharmacologically effective amount, a product counts as a medicine. In foods other than supplements, the root would be novel. There is no entry in the EU Novel Food Catalogue, and we found no classification for isolated baicalin or baicalein. We found neither an EU monograph from the medicines agency nor a medicine containing Baikal skullcap approved in Germany. There are no authorized health claims. It has no doping relevance.
Safety
Baikal skullcap is not a harmless tea herb. Liver injury is rare but well documented, from the flavocoxid cases in the US to 0.095 percent confirmed cases in Chinese clinics, with a higher risk at high daily doses. In Japan, many cases of interstitial pneumonia under Kampo formulas are attributed to skullcap, especially in people aged 60 and over. In a study with 18 healthy people, baicalin lowered blood levels of rosuvastatin by up to 47.0 percent depending on genotype, and Scutellaria root altered the enzymes CYP2C9 and CYP2E1, through which losartan, for example, is broken down. With liver disease, in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and together with statins or blood pressure medication, you should avoid it or clarify it with a doctor. New cough, shortness of breath or fever while taking it, as well as dark urine or yellow eyes, are a reason to stop immediately. There are no official maximum amounts.
BK-Score Thin human evidence
| Human evidence | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | 4 | |
| Safety data | 6 | |
| Hype gap | 4 | |
| Track record of use | 7 |
Evidence 4, because there are only individual, mostly small or unreplicated human studies: baicalin in addition to standard therapy improved blood lipids and CRP in an RCT with 374 patients from a single center (Hang 2018), an extract improved glucose tolerance in a small crossover study (Shin 2020), while a registered cognition study with a combination product found no difference from placebo (Krieger 2025); systematic reviews of human studies are lacking. Mechanism 4, because the anti-inflammatory effect and the binding of wogonin to the GABA-A receptor come from cell and animal experiments (Hui 2002) and in humans only the pharmacokinetics of baicalein have been shown in phase 1 studies (Dong 2021). Safety 6, because in addition to phase 1 studies and a 12-week RCT (Morgan 2009) there are extensive data from use: a case series and 194 FDA reports on flavocoxid with a recall in 2018 (Chalasani 2012), an incidence of 0.095 % liver injury in Chinese clinics with dose dependence (Fu 2026), a pneumonitis signal from Japan (Oura 2024) and documented interactions with rosuvastatin (Fan 2008). Hype 4, because Baikal skullcap is marketed as anti-inflammatory, calming and neuroprotective, but the basis for this is mostly laboratory data. Use 7, because the root has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years and is a component of many Kampo medicines in Japan. Direction open, because the few human studies mostly come out favorably but are too thin, too heterogeneous and too often combinations to support a conclusion.
The score rates the state of knowledge, not the substance. “Safety data 9” means well studied – not harmless.
Subjective assessment by Biohacking Kompakt based on published scoring rules – not a scientific rating and not a medical recommendation. Rules and all ratings (German)
Frequently asked questions about Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)
What is Baikal skullcap?
Baikal skullcap is the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, called Huang Qin in China. It has been part of Chinese and Japanese herbal medicine for centuries. Its most important constituents are the flavones baicalin, baicalein and wogonin.
Does Baikal skullcap work against inflammation?
Clearly in the laboratory; in humans there have so far been only individual studies. In a Chinese study with 374 patients, baicalin in addition to standard therapy lowered CRP and blood lipids. Confirmation by further studies is lacking.
Does Baikal skullcap help against anxiety?
The constituent wogonin binds to the same receptor as sedatives and had an anxiety-relieving effect in mice. In humans there are only studies with combination products. Whether Baikal skullcap on its own relieves anxiety has not been studied.
Is Baikal skullcap bad for the liver?
Liver injury is rare but well documented, in Chinese clinics in 0.095 percent of those treated. A US product containing baicalin was recalled after liver and lung damage. Anyone with liver disease should avoid it.
What is the difference from American skullcap?
American skullcap, Scutellaria lateriflora, is a different plant whose leaves and stems are used. It is taken more for anxiety and sleep problems and in the past had problems with adulteration by liver-damaging germander. The botanical name should always be on the package.
Can Baikal skullcap be combined with medicines?
Caution is advised. In one study, baicalin lowered the levels of the cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin, and the root altered liver enzymes that break down, for example, the blood pressure drug losartan. Discuss taking it with your doctor if you take medication.
Related
- Same goal: reducing stressKava kava
- Same goal: reducing stressValerian (valerian root)
- Same goal: reducing stressGABA
- Same goal: reducing stressOral lavender oil (Silexan)
- Same goal: joints & mobilityPau d’Arco (Lapacho)
- Same goal: joints & mobilityFrankincense (Boswellia)
Sources
- Hang et al., Lipids Health Dis 2018
- Shin et al., Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020
- Krieger et al., Nutr Neurosci 2025
- Chalasani et al., Ann Intern Med 2012
- FDA, Requested Recall Limbrel, 2017
- Fu et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2026
- Oura et al., BMC Complement Med Ther 2024
- Fan et al., Clin Pharmacol Ther 2008
- Hui et al., Biochem Pharmacol 2002
- Brock et al., Phytother Res 2014
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Information only, not medical advice and not a usage or dosage recommendation. Prescription-only and unapproved substances belong in the hands of a physician. Last updated: 2026-10-09.