Сomparative characteristics of antidepressant, anti-hypoxic action and effect on the physical endurance of scutellaria baicalensis drugs

Abstract

The creation of new effective drugs based on plant material is relevant and a priority direction of modern pharmacy. Herbal origin preparations have recently become very popular due to the variety of therapeutic effects provided by both individual substances and complex compounds found in plant material. Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) Georgi (Lamiaceae family) is a promising source of biologically active substances. The main biologically active substances of SB are flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides such as baicalin, baicalein, scutellarin, oroxylin,wogonin, apigenin, and others. In traditional Chinese medicine,roots of SB have long been used for hypertension, epilepsy, nervousness, sleep disorders. Recently, the psychotropic and cerebroprotective action of SB drugs has been investigated, including in neurodegenerative diseases, and CNS lesions of ischemic genesis.1-6 It has been proved that preparations of raw SB (dry extract, “Scutex” tablets and “Scutella” capsules) show anxiolytic and anti-amnestic effects.7,8 In view of the above, there is a need for the expediency of comprehensive comparative pharmacological studies of SB dry extract, powder of roots and rhizomes of SB and preparations based on them as potential psychotropic drugs. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the possible anti-depressant properties and anti-hypoxic action of the dry extract, powder of roots and rhizomes of SB and also “Scutex” tablets based on dry extract SB (SBDE) and hard gelatin capsules “Scutella”, which contain powder of rhizomes with roots of SB, on the physical endurance of mice.