Inhibitory Activity of Scutellaria baicalensis Flavonoids against Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

Flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis: Promising Alternatives for Enhancing Swine Production and Health

Concerns over vaccine safety, bacterial resistance, and drug residues have led to increased interest in plant extracts for improving swine nutrition and health. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, rich in four primary flavonoids-baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, and wogonin-demonstrates significant pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral activities in swine. These flavonoids have been shown to enhance growth performance, improve immunity, modulate gut microbiota, and aid in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. This review highlights the pharmacological effects of these flavonoids in swine, with a focus on network pharmacology to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms. By constructing drug-target networks and identifying key signaling pathways, the review reveals how these flavonoids interact with biological systems to promote health. Furthermore, it discusses the practical applications of Scutellaria baicalensis flavonoids in swine production and outlines potential future research directions. This work provides a theoretical framework for understanding the therapeutic targets of these flavonoids, offering valuable insights for advancing sustainable and healthy pig farming practices.

Advances in pharmacology, biosynthesis, and metabolic engineering of Scutellaria-specialized metabolites

Scutellaria Linn., which belongs to the family Lamiaceae, is a commonly used medicinal plant for heat clearing and detoxification. In particular, the roots of S. baicalensis and the entire herb of S. barbata have been widely used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. The main active components of Scutellaria, including: baicalein, wogonin, norwogonin, scutellarein, and their glycosides have potential or existing drug usage. However, the wild resources of Scutellaria plants have been overexploited, and degenerated germplasm resources cannot fulfill the requirements of chemical extraction and clinical usage. Metabolic engineering and green production via microorganisms provide alternative strategies for greater efficiency in the production of natural products. Here, we review the progress of: pharmacological investigations, multi-omics, biosynthetic pathways, and metabolic engineering of various Scutellaria species and their active compounds. In addition, based on multi-omics data, we systematically analyze the phylogenetic relationships of Scutellaria and predict candidate transcription factors related to the regulation of active flavonoids. Finally, we propose the prospects of directed evolution of core enzymes and genome-assisted breeding to alleviate the shortage of plant resources of Scutellaria. This review provides important insights into the sustainable utilization and development of Scutellaria resources.

Scutellaria baicalensis: a promising natural source of antiviral compounds for the treatment of viral diseases

Viruses, the smallest microorganisms, continue to present an escalating threat to human health, being the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Over the decades, although significant progress has been made in the development of therapies and vaccines against viral diseases, the need for effective antiviral interventions remains urgent. This urgency stems from the lack of effective vaccines, the severe side effects associated with current drugs, and the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains. Natural plants, particularly traditionally-used herbs, are often considered an excellent source of medicinal drugs with potent antiviral efficacy, as well as a substantial safety profile. Scutellaria baicalensis, a traditional Chinese medicine, has garnered considerable attention due to its extensive investigation across diverse therapeutic areas and its demonstrated efficacy in both preclinical and clinical trials. In this review, we mainly focused on the potential antiviral activities of ingredients in Scutellaria baicalensis, shedding light on their underlying mechanisms of action and therapeutic applications in the treatment of viral infections.

Study of Baicalin toward COVID-19 Treatment: In silico Target Analysis and in vitro Inhibitory Effects on SARS-CoV-2 Proteases

Negative impacts of COVID-19 on human health and economic and social activities urge scientists to develop effective treatments. Baicalin is a natural flavonoid, extracted from a traditional medicinal plant, previously reported with anti-inflammatory activity. In this study, we used pharmacophore fitting and molecular docking to screen and determine docking patterns and the binding affinity of baicalin on 3 major targets of SARS-CoV-2 (3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease [3CLpro], papain-like protease [PLpro], and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase). The obtained data revealed that baicalin has high pharmacophore fitting on 3CLpro and predicted good binding affinity on PLpro. Moreover, using the enzymatic assay, we examined the inhibitory effect of baicalin in vitro on the screened enzymes. Baicalin also exhibits inhibitory effect on these proteases in vitro. Additionally, we performed pharmacophore-based screening of baicalin on human targets and conducted pathway analysis to explore the potential cytoprotective effects of baicalin in the host cell that may be beneficial for COVID-19 treatment. The result suggested that baicalin has multiple targets in human cell that may induce multiple pharmacological effects. The result of pathway analysis implied that these targets may be associated with baicalin-induced bioactivities that are involved with signals of pro-inflammation factors, such as cytokine and chemokine. Taken together with supportive data from the literature, the bioactivities of bailalin may be beneficial for COVID-19 treatment by reducing cytokine-induced acute inflammation. In conclusion, baicalin is potentially a good candidate for developing new therapeutic to treat COVID-19.

Impact of Traditional Plants and their Secondary Metabolites in the Discovery of COVID-19 Treatment

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus Disease-2019 belongs to the family of viruses which cause serious pneumonia along with fever, breathing issues and infection of lungs, and was first reported in China and later spread worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

Several studies and clinical trials have been conducted to identify potential drugs and vaccines for Coronavirus Disease-2019. The present study listed natural secondary metabolites identified from plant sources with antiviral properties and could be a safer and tolerable treatment for Coronavirus Disease-2019.

METHODS

A comprehensive search on the reported studies was conducted using different search engines such as Google Scholar, SciFinder, Sciencedirect, Medline PubMed, and Scopus for the collection of research articles based on plant-derived secondary metabolites, herbal extracts, and traditional medicine for coronavirus infections.

RESULTS

Status of COVID-19 worldwide and information of important molecular targets involved in COVID- 19 are described, and through literature search, it is highlighted that numerous plant species and their extracts possess antiviral properties and are studied with respect to coronavirus treatments. Chemical information, plant source, test system type with a mechanism of action for each secondary metabolite are also mentioned in this review paper.

CONCLUSION

The present review has listed plants that have presented antiviral potential in the previous coronavirus pandemics and their secondary metabolites, which could be significant for the development of novel and a safer drug which could prevent and cure coronavirus infection worldwide.

The Use of Chinese Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) and Its Extracts for Sustainable Animal Production

Simple Summary

With the increasing pressure to address the problems of bacterial resistance and drug residues, medicinal herbs are gradually taking a more important role in animal production. Scutellaria baicalensis is a common and widely used Chinese medicinal herb. The main bioactive compounds in the plant are baicalein and baicalin. These compounds have many biological functions including anti-oxidation, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and antitumor effects. S. baicalensis and its extracts can effectively promote animal growth, improve the production performance of dairy cows, reduce the stress and inflammatory response, and have effective therapeutic effects on diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and other pathogenic microorganisms. This paper summarizes the biological function of S. baicalensis and its application in sustainable animal production to provide a reference for future application of S. baicalensis and other medicinal herbs in animal production and disease treatment.

Abstract

Drugs have been widely adopted in animal production. However, drug residues and bacterial resistance are a worldwide issue, and thus the most important organizations (FAO, USDA, EU, and EFSA) have limited or banned the use of some drugs and the use of antibiotics as growth promoters. Natural products such as medicinal herbs are unlikely to cause bacterial resistance and have no chemical residues. With these advantages, medicinal herbs have long been used to treat animal diseases and improve animal performance. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the study of medicinal herbs. S. baicalensis is a herb with a high medicinal value. The main active compounds are baicalin and baicalein. They may act as antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, antimicrobial, and antitumor agents. They also possess characteristics of being safe, purely natural, and not prone to drug resistance. S. baicalensis and its extracts can effectively promote the production performance of livestock and treat many animal diseases, such as mastitis. In this review, we summarize the active compounds, biological functions, and applications of S. baicalensis in the production of livestock and provide a guideline for the application of natural medicines in the production and treatment of diseases.

Molecular and Genetic Bases of Inhibition of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Replication by Eprosartan and Ribavirin

The antiviral activity of eprosartan (compound selected in silico) towards highly and low-virulent strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus was compared in vitro with activity of ribavirin. Study of the cytopathogenic activity of the virus on SPEV cells by ELISA, IFAT, and PCR showed similar results: both substances (eprosartan and ribavirin) promoted elimination of tick-borne encephalitis virus. Ribavirin exhibited intracellular inhibition towards both strains: the selectivity index for highly virulent Dal'negorsk strain was 160, for low-virulent Primorye-437 strain - 113. Eprosartan inhibited intracellular replication of Dal'negorsk strain (13.7) and less so that of Primorye-437 strain (2.9). The efficiency of virtual screening of the ligand (eprosartan) was demonstrated for highly virulent, but not low virulent tick-borne encephalitis strain.

Crystal, mol-ecular structure and Hirshheld surface analysis of 5-hy-droxy-3,6,7,8-tetra-meth-oxy-flavone

The title compound (systematic name: 5-hydroxy-3,6,7,8-tetramethoxy-2-phenyl-4H-chromen-4-one), C19H18O7, is a flavone that was isolated from a butanol extract of the herb Scutellaria nepetoides M. Pop. The flavone mol-ecule is almost planar, with a dihedral angle between the planes of the benzo-pyran-4-one group and the attached phenyl ring of 6.4 (4)°. The 5-hy-droxy group forms a strong intra-molecular hydrogen bond with the carbonyl group, resulting in a six-membered hydrogen-bonded ring. The crystal structure has triclinic (P ) symmetry. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a two dimensional network parallel to the ab plane. The Hirshfeld surface analysis indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H⋯H (53.9%) and H⋯O/O⋯H (20.9%) inter-actions.

Mechanisms of Protective Actions of Specific Antibodies against the Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus

The protective mechanisms of specific antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus were demonstrated on in vitro model. The effect of specific IgG on tick-borne encephalitis virus was comprehensively assessed in virucidal, preventive, direct antiviral, and intracellular actions by ELISA and virus titration results. The IC₅₀ values were obtained for virucidal (3.8±0.7 U/ml), preventive (42.8±9.9 U/ml), direct antiviral (7.2±0.9 U/ml), and intracellular action (1.7±0.4 U/ml). During titration of the samples, complete elimination of the virus was observed at IgG concentration of 16 U/ml (virucidal), 320 U/ml (preventive), 32 U/ml (direct antiviral), and 8 U/ml (intracellular action). It was demonstrated that specific IgG produces a complex inhibitory effect on tick-borne encephalitis virus: it possesses both direct neutralizing activity on the virus and reduces its adsorption and intracellular replication.