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

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.

Keywords: Scutellaria baicalensis; extract; feed; medicinal herb; sustainable animal production.

Figure 1

Molecular structure of baicalein. The IUPAC name of baicalein is 5,6,7-Trihydroxy-2-phenylchromen-4-one, or also known as 5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone.

Figure 2

Molecular structure of baicalin. The IUPAC name of baicalin is (2S,3S,4S,5R,6S)-6-(5,6-dihydroxy-4-oxo-2-phenylchromen-7-yl)oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxy-tetrahydropyran-2-carboxylic acid, or also known as baicalein 7-O-glucuronide.

Figure 3

Schematic diagram of the antipyretic mechanism of baicalin. FEVER: Body temperature is higher than the normal physiological value. NORMAL: Body temperature is within the normal physiological range.