Description. In the traditional medicine of the East, the Baikal skullcap is used as a tonic, sedative, antipyretic, emollient, expectorant and antihelminthic. Skullcap has long been used in Chinese, Tibetan and Far Eastern traditional medicine. It has been established that this plant reduces blood pressure in people with hypertension and, at the same time, significantly alleviates the general condition of the patient. It also has a pronounced calming effect on the nervous system. The main active ingredients of skullcap are flavonoids. In addition, the roots contain tannins, essential oil, alkaloids, starch, catechol and other substances. Skullcap preparations dilate blood vessels, slow down the heart rate, eliminate headaches and insomnia, prevent seizures, inhibit the functional activity of the nervous system, have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, liver function, have a choleretic and laxative effect.
Use. Skullcap is prescribed for the treatment of myocarditis, palpitations, acute rheumatism, epilepsy, insomnia, bronchitis, pneumonia and other lung diseases. In Tibetan medicine, skullcap is an integral part of the preparations for the treatment of the liver. Skullcap is prescribed in the initial stages of hypertension, atherosclerosis, insomnia and neurosis combined with high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances and inflammation of the heart muscle. Skullcap is prescribed for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammation of the intestines, bladder and urinary tract, colds and flu. In traditional herbal medicine, skullcap is considered a hemostatic, digestive stimulant and anthelmintic. With prolonged use of the skullcap tincture, a decrease or disappearance of headaches and pains in the heart area is observed, general well-being and performance of a patient improve. Scutellaria flavonoids are responsible for its powerful antioxidant activity. The flavonoid vagonin has a neuroprotective and anxiolytic effect, having a pronounced affinity for the active benzodiazepine centers of GABAergic receptors.