Baical Skullcap demonstrates Anti-Allergic Effect!

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Antiallergic effects of Scutellaria baicalensis on inflammation in vivo and in vitro.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 May 7;141(1):345-9
Authors: Jung HS, Kim MH, Gwak NG, Im YS, Lee KY, Sohn Y, Choi H, Yang WM

Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Scutellaria baicalensis (SB) is one of the most widely used medicinal herbs for the treatment of inflammation. In this study, we investigated the antiallergic effect of SB in vivo and in vitro.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats received intradermal injections of anti-DNP IgE at each of three dorsal skin sites. Forty-eight hours later, each rat received an injection of DNP-HSA in saline containing 4% Evans blue through the dorsal vein of the penis. One hour before injection, SB extract was administered orally. The dorsal skin of the rats was removed and the pigment area measured. In addition, rat peritoneal mast cells (RPMCs) were cultured and purified to investigate histamine release. In vitro, human mast cells (HMC-1) were pretreated with SB extract for 30min before stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) plus A23187. The effects on pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase expression were investigated using TNF-α and IL-8 assays, and Western blotting analysis of HMC-1 cells.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: SB treatment inhibited the passive cutaneous anaphylaxis reaction compared to the control group, and histamine release decreased significantly following treatment of RPMCs with SB. In HMC-1 cells, SB restored IL-8 and TNF-α expression and inhibited MAP kinase expression in compound 48/80-induced HMC-1 cells. These data suggest that SB may prove to be a useful anti-inflammatory agent through its downregulation of the expression of various inflammatory mediators.

PMID: 22414480 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Note: I do not believe that veterinary science should be applied to humans. It is also worth noting that in this experiment an extract of Chinese skullcap was employed. Although this tells us something about the actions of the plant it does not inform us about the whole plant, the gestalt. Herbalists have argued for many years that isolating extracts is a pharmacological approach and has only passing relevance for the appreciation of whole herb plant medicines. Furthermore extracts in isolation may create side effects not established in whole plant use and to extrapolate that a herb is dangerous due to the effects of an isolated ingredient is astoundingly poor science, and yet this is the type of approach which set precedents and can have legal implications. I do from time to time include research on the blog but I would hope the observations above are considered when viewing this and any other research.