General

Scientific Names: Scutellariae Barbata, Herba Scutellariae Barbatae.

Common Names: Ban Zhi Lian, Tong Jing Cao, Zi Lian Cao, Bing Tou Cao, Ya Shua Cao, Xiao Han Xin Cao, Shui Han Cao, Ye Xia Ku Cao, Zai Sheng Cao.

Botanical:

An herb. Stem square. Leaves opposite, triangular-ovate. Flower multiflorous, growing from the leaf axilla at the upper part of the branch to form a racemose shaped and unilaterally deviated like a tooth-brush; sepal enlarged when fruiting; corolla labiate, blue-puiple. Slightly bitter in taste, cool in nature, and attributive to liver, lung and stomach channels.

An herb that belongs to a group of herbs named the Scutellaria species or scullcap. Both the root and the above-ground part have been used to make herbal medicines. The root has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat lung cancer and other medical problems.

Annual growing to 0.45m. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1 out of 5 for usefulness.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

15-35cm long, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the floral axis. Roots slender. Stems fascicled, relatively thin, square; externally dark purple or brownish-green. Leaves opposite, short petioled; lamina mostly crumpled, when whole, triangular-ovate or lanceolate, 1.5-3cm long, 0.5-1cm wide; obtuse at the apex, broadly cuneate at the base, entire or indistinctly crenate; the upper surface dark green, the lower surface greyish0green. Flowers, solitary in leaf axils of the upper part of the branches, lobes of calyx obtuse or slightly rounded; corolla bilabiated, brownish-yellow or pale bluish-purple, about 1.2cm long, pubescent. Fruits oblate, pale brown. Odour, slight; taste, slightly bitter.

生药材鉴定 : 1.1. 干燥全草，叶片多已脱落，为带有花穗的茎与枝，长 15-25cm ，四棱形，表面黄绿色或紫棕色，光滑，质柔软，折断面纤维状，中空；残留的叶片深黄绿色，多破碎不全，皱缩卷曲。 1.2. 质脆而易脱落；花穗着生在枝端，黄绿色。 1.3. 臭微弱，味微咸苦。 2. 显微鉴定 : 叶表面观：表皮细胞长多角形，垂周壁波状弯曲，上表皮细胞较大，有的细胞含橙皮甙结晶，以气孔周围为多见；气孔直轴式。非腺毛 1-4 细胞，壁具疣状突起，基部细胞有放射状纹理。腺鳞较多，头部类圆形， 4-10 余细胞，直径 25-47 μ m ，形大者类圆形或椭圆形，有的边缘凹凸，由数十个细胞组成，直径 140-266 μ m 。另有小腺毛，头部类圆形， 1-2 细胞，直径约 28 μ m ，柄短，单细胞。 (Source)

Pharmacology

中药化学成分 : 1. 全草含生物碱、黄酮甙、酚类、甾体。全草含高山黄芩素（ scutellarein ）、高山黄芩甙（ scutellarin ）、红花素（ carthamidin ）、异红花素（ iso-carthamidin ）、β - 谷甾醇、硬脂酸和一种结构未定的生物碱（ C30H36O7N2 ）。 2. 根含甾醇、豆甾醇和β - 谷甾醇。

1. Ducki S, et al., Isolation of E-1-(4'-Hydroxyphenyl)-but-1-en-3-one from Scutellaria barbata. Planta Med. 1996 April.
2. Sonoda M, et al., Cytotoxic activities of flavonoids from two Scutellaria plant in Chinese medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Mar.
3. Chou CC, et al., Pharmacological evaluation of several major ingredients of Chinese herbal medicines in human hepatoma Hep3B cells . Eur J Pharm Sci. 2003 Aug.

Efficacy

Recent study results suggest that ginger, tea, and a Chinese herb called Scutellaria barbata or Ban Zhi Lian could all help to prevent cancer. Researchers Ann Bode and Zigang Dong of the University of Minnesota fed mice infected with human colon cancer cells a compound called gingerol – the compound responsible for making ginger spicy. Results showed that just four mice fed the ginger extract developed tumors, compared with 13 mice that were fed a normal diet. Meanwhile, another group of researchers from the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson asked 118 heavy smokers to drink at least four cups a day of both green and black tea. The researchers also monitored the participants blood levels of a chemical called 8-OHdG, which the body releases in response to cancer-causing DNA damage. Results showed that 8-OhdG levels in those who drank green tea for four months dropped by 31%, however no change in 8-OhdG levels was observed in those who drank black tea. Lastly, a study of the Chinese medicinal herb, Scutellaria barbata or Ban Zhi Lian, conducted at Union College in Nebraska, revealed that the herb slowed the growth of prostate cancer tumors in mice.

抑瘤作用 : 用美蓝氏试管法筛选试验表明，本品对急性粒细胞型白血病细胞有很轻度的抑制作用；用细胞呼吸器法筛选实验表明，对急性粒细胞型白血病血细胞的抑制率大于 75%。

免疫调节作用 : 本品所含的多糖在体外可促进 ConA 诱导的小鼠脾细胞淋巴细胞转化，其最适浓度为 400r/ml 。 Sc 给药 1 周后可明显提高小鼠外周血淋巴细胞中酯酶阳性细胞的百分率，促进 DNCB 诱导的迟发型变态反应。但大剂量给药（ 200mg/kg ）可抑制小鼠胸腺指数，对脾指数无影响。

IN VITRO:

1. Gao D, et al., Influence of Scutellaria barbata on calcium beaconage cervix cancer cells. Zhao Yao Cai, 2003 Oct.
2. Wong BY, et al., Oldenlandia diffusa and Scutellaria barbata augment macrophage oxidative burst and inhibit tumor growth . Cancer Biother Radiopharm. 1996 Feb.
3. Lee TK, et al. , Scutellaria barbata D. Don induces c-fos gene expression in human uterine leiomyomal cells by activating beta2-adrenergic receptors. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2004 May-Jun.
4. Ye F, et al., Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 activity in head and neck cancer cells by genistein , Cancer Lett. 2004 July 28.
5. Cheng KT, et al., Baicalin induces differential expression of cytochrome C oxidase in human lung H441 cell. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Dec.
6. Powell CB, et al., Aqueous extract of herba Scutellaria barbatae, a Chinese herb used for ovarian cancer, induces apoptosis of ovarian cancer cell lines. Gynecol Oncol. 2003 Nov.

IN VIVO:

1. Aung HH, et al., Scutellaria baicalensis extract decreases cisplatin-induced pica in rats. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2003 Dec.
2. Kyo R, et al., Effects of Sho-saiko-to, San'o-shasin-to and Scutellariae Radix on intracellular Ca2+ mobilization in C6 rat glioma cells. Biol Pahrm Bull. 1998 Oct.

CLINICAL:

1. Gol'dberg VE, et al., Dry extract of Scutellaria baicalensis as a hemostimulant in antineoplastic chemotherapy in patents with lung cancer, Eksp Klin Farmakol. 1997 Nov-Dec.

Safety

毒理学： 半边莲煎剂小鼠 iv 的 LD50 为 6.10 ± 0.26g （生药） /kg 。浸剂大鼠 ig 的 LD50 与 75.1 ± 13.1g （生药） /kg 。大鼠每日 ip0.1 、 0.3 和 1.0g （生药） /kg ，连续 3mo ，体重、尿沉渣及尿蛋白检查均无异常发现。病理检查，除部分大鼠肾脏有轻度浊肿外，未见显著器质性变化。黄芩素甙小鼠 po 最大耐受量为 10g/kg ， iv 的 LD50 为 1314mg/kg 。