Not to be confused with its less-impressive cousin, the American skullcap. This is a very preliminary report (just two days) but I am very impressed. Two days ago I was relying on a 200/50 Sinemet CR every two hours from 8 AM until 8 PM plus four 10/100s as needed. That's 1800 mg and too much. Today I took the 200/50 CR at 8 AM, 10 AM, Noon, and 2 PM plus two 10/100s. That's 1000 mg. A drop of 800 mg in just two days! Also, I have not had the insomnia that was beginning to be a regular problem at 4 AM nor the cramps in my feet that would follow. As the report pasted below shows, this is a pretty remarkable herb. It is widely available and dirt cheap. More later.


1. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2011 Mar;10(2):184-91.

Flavones from root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi: drugs of the future in
neurodegeneration?

Gasiorowski K, Lamer-Zarawska E, Leszek J, Parvathaneni K, Yendluri BB,
Błach-Olszewska Z, Aliev G.

Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical
University, 14 Kochanowskiego Str., 51-601Wroclaw, Poland.

Flavonoids are natural, plant-derived compounds which exert diverse biological
activities, also valuable neuroprotective actions within the brain and currently
are intensively studied as agents able to modulate neuronal function and to
prevent age-related neurodegeneration. Among them, flavones isolated from
Scutellaria baicalensis root exhibit strong neuroprotective effects on the brain
and are not toxic in the broad range of tested doses. Their neuroprotective
potential has been shown in both oxidative stress-induced and amyloid-beta and
alpha-synuclein-induced neuronal death models. Baicalein, the main flavone
present in Scutellaria baicalensis root, strongly inhibited aggregation of
neuronal amyloidogenic proteins in vitro and induces dissolution of amyloid
deposits. It exerts strong antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities and
also exhibits anti-convulsive, anxiolytic, and mild sedative actions.
Importantly, baicalein, and also another flavone: oroxylin A, markedly enhanced
cognitive and mnestic functions in animal models of aging brains and
neurodegeneration. In the preliminary study, wogonin, another flavone from
Scutellaria baicalensis root, has been shown to stimulate brain tissue
regeneration, inducing differentiation of neuronal precursor cells. This concise
review provides the main examples of neuroprotective activities of the flavones
and reveals their potential in prevention and therapyof neurodegenerative
diseases.


PMID: 21222632 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]