Skullcap
Common name
North American skullcap, chinese skullcap
ID
HD0058
Scientific name of the plant
Scutellaria lateriflora; Scutellaria baicalensis
Anatomical part for use
leaf, stem, root
Human use
Mental stress & mood disorders
Summary
Scutellaria lateriflora, known commonly as blue skullcap, mad dog skullcap, and side-flowering skullcap, is a hardy perennial herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to North America.
It has an upright habit, growing 60 to 80 centimeters in maximum height. It is a wetland-loving species and grows near marshes, meadows, and other wet habitat. The blue flowers are just under a centimeter long. Most of the flowers do not appear at the top of the main stem, but are produced along the length of side branches that grow from the leaf axils. (Source: Wiki)
Evidence Level
Level 4 (Individual reports repeated observed over 5 years among different countries)
Hepatotoxicity reports in literature
- Herbal toxicity and fatal hepatic failure : (Source)
- Black cohosh and other herbal remedies associated with acute hepatitis : (Source)
- Hepatotoxicity associated with chinese skullcap contained in Move Free Advanced dietary supplement: two case reports and review of the literature : (Source)
- Herbal hepatoxicity from Chinese skullcap: A case report : (Source)
- Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies : (Source)
- Chinese skullcap in move free arthritis supplement causes drug induced liver injury and pulmonary infiltrates : (Source)
- Acute Hepatitis after Ingestion of a Preparation of Chinese Skullcap and Black Catechu for Joint Pain : (Source)
- Acute hepatitis with use of over-the-counter herbal remedies : (Source)
Hepatotoxicity Description
Skullcap has been implicated in rare instances of clinically apparent liver injury, although in most cases multiple herbal medications were being taken and the role of skullcap in the hepatic damage was unclear. Furthermore, in some instances phytochemical analysis has identified significant adulterants (germander) or mislabeling in cases of suspected skullcap hepatotoxicity. In reported cases, the onset of symptoms and jaundice occurred within 1 to 12 weeks of starting skullcap, and the serum enzyme pattern was typically hepatocellular. Immunoallergic and autoimmune features were usually absent, although low titers of autoantibodies were not infrequent. Recovery was rapid once the herbal was discontinued, but some cases have resulted in acute liver failure. Chinese skullcap is a different species, but may also have adverse effects on the liver. There have been several reports and small case series of acute liver injury with jaundice arising after 1 to 3 months of starting herbals or dietary supplements with Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis), the liver injury resembling that associated with North American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). (Source: LiverTox)
Common name
North American skullcap, chinese skullcap
ID
HD0058
Scientific name of the plant
Scutellaria lateriflora; Scutellaria baicalensis
Anatomical part for use
leaf, stem, root
Human use
Mental stress & mood disorders
Summary
Scutellaria lateriflora, known commonly as blue skullcap, mad dog skullcap, and side-flowering skullcap, is a hardy perennial herb of the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to North America. It has an upright habit, growing 60 to 80 centimeters in maximum height. It is a wetland-loving species and grows near marshes, meadows, and other wet habitat. The blue flowers are just under a centimeter long. Most of the flowers do not appear at the top of the main stem, but are produced along the length of side branches that grow from the leaf axils. (Source: Wiki)
Evidence Level
Level 4 (Individual reports repeated observed over 5 years among different countries)
Hepatotoxicity reports in literature
- Herbal toxicity and fatal hepatic failure : (Source)
- Black cohosh and other herbal remedies associated with acute hepatitis : (Source)
- Hepatotoxicity associated with chinese skullcap contained in Move Free Advanced dietary supplement: two case reports and review of the literature : (Source)
- Herbal hepatoxicity from Chinese skullcap: A case report : (Source)
- Hepatotoxicity of herbal remedies : (Source)
- Chinese skullcap in move free arthritis supplement causes drug induced liver injury and pulmonary infiltrates : (Source)
- Acute Hepatitis after Ingestion of a Preparation of Chinese Skullcap and Black Catechu for Joint Pain : (Source)
- Acute hepatitis with use of over-the-counter herbal remedies : (Source)
Hepatotoxicity Description
Skullcap has been implicated in rare instances of clinically apparent liver injury, although in most cases multiple herbal medications were being taken and the role of skullcap in the hepatic damage was unclear. Furthermore, in some instances phytochemical analysis has identified significant adulterants (germander) or mislabeling in cases of suspected skullcap hepatotoxicity. In reported cases, the onset of symptoms and jaundice occurred within 1 to 12 weeks of starting skullcap, and the serum enzyme pattern was typically hepatocellular. Immunoallergic and autoimmune features were usually absent, although low titers of autoantibodies were not infrequent. Recovery was rapid once the herbal was discontinued, but some cases have resulted in acute liver failure. Chinese skullcap is a different species, but may also have adverse effects on the liver. There have been several reports and small case series of acute liver injury with jaundice arising after 1 to 3 months of starting herbals or dietary supplements with Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis), the liver injury resembling that associated with North American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). (Source: LiverTox)