Comparative analysis of flavones from six commonly used Scutellaria species

Abstract

Scutellaria plants have been used for thousands of years for medicinal purposes, and flavones are the main bioactive compounds with properties such as anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory. Although the pharmacological effects of active components and specialized metabolism in S. baicalensis are well-understood, few studies have been conducted on other Scutellaria species. In this study, we investigated the patterns of flavone accumulations in roots, leaves, and hairy roots of S. baicalensis, S. barbata, S. indica, S. strigilosa, S. obtusifolia, and S. altissima. Among the six species, S. baicalensis roots contained the highest concentrations of baicalin and wogonoside, while S. indica leaves accumulated the highest level of scutellarin. In addition, S. strigilosa leaves were rich in baicalin and wogonoside. Among the six hairy roots, S. baicalensis hairy roots had the highest contents of baicalin, baicalein, and wogonin, while S. barbata hairy roots produced the highest level of wogonoside. S. indica hairy roots contained the highest concentration of scutellarin. Compared to natural roots, the hairy roots of S. barbata and S. indica had stronger ability to selectively produce specific active flavones. Overall, this study provides a foundation for investigating diverse specialized metabolism in Scutellaria species.

Keywords

• scutellaria
• flavone
• specialized metabolism
• accumulation patterns