Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) – promising source of potential therapeutic agents for COVID 19 (SARS-CoV-2)

Baikal skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) is a medicinal plant with many pharmacological properties. Modern phytochemical analysis has shown that S. baicalensis roots contains many groups of biologically active compounds (BAC), of which flavonoids are its main components, and baicalein is the most important of them. These BAC are the basis for the pharmacological action of S. baicalensis. Pharmacological studies have shown that S. baicalensis has a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antiviral effects, as well as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, liver protection, etc. S. baicalensis BAC may have a potential therapeutic effect against COVID-19, due to baicalin and baicalein content. The exact therapeutic effects have yet to be determined in clinical trials; this is a topic for future research. Thus, the extract of the roots of S. baicalensis, baicalein may become a promising therapeutic drug for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2.