Traditional Chinese Herb Scutellaria Barbata Shows Promise in Fighting COVID-19 and Lung Damage
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Apr 13, 2025 1 day, 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
Medical News: A recent scientific discovery has brought new hope in the ongoing battle against COVID-19 and its lingering health complications. Researchers from the Qingdao Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences at Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the United States have found that a traditional Chinese herb known as Scutellaria barbata D. Don (SBD) can play a powerful role in reducing the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections, especially by easing lung inflammation and inhibiting viral replication.
Traditional Chinese Herb Scutellaria Barbata Shows Promise in Fighting COVID-19 and Lung Damage
This
Medical News report highlights how SBD extracts, long used in traditional Chinese medicine for their anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, may now emerge as a potential natural remedy in modern therapeutic strategies against COVID-19.
How the Study Was Conducted
The researchers used a specially developed mouse model that mimics COVID-19 infection without requiring high-level biosecurity labs. They administered water and ethanol extracts of Scutellaria Barbata to mice that had been infected with a modified version of SARS-CoV-2. They observed not only a significant drop in viral load in the lungs but also a noticeable reduction in inflammation and tissue damage typically caused by the virus.
In these experiments, infected mice usually showed signs of severe pneumonia and weight loss. But those treated with SBD maintained better body weight and had milder symptoms. The higher the dosage, the better the results—demonstrating a clear dose-dependent protective effect.
The lung tissue of the treated mice also showed less damage when examined under a microscope. Markers of inflammation such as TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly reduced in the treated groups compared to the untreated ones.
Two Major Ways Scutellaria Barbata Fights COVID-19
The researchers discovered that SBD acts in two powerful ways:
-Directly Inhibiting Virus Replication: SBD targets two important viral enzymes—3CLpro and PLpro—both of which play key roles in the replication of the coronavirus. Laboratory experiments showed that SBD effectively reduced the activity of these enzymes, thereby slowing down the virus's ability to multiply inside the body.
-Regulating the Immune System: Perhaps more impressively, SBD was found to have a bi-directional impact on the immune response. This means it can either stimulate or suppress inflammation, depending on the needs of the body. When the immune system is underactive in the early stages of infection, SBD helps to boost it. But if there is a harmful overreaction, like the cytokine storm seen in severe COVID-19 cases, SBD calms things down by reducing excessive inflammation.
This dual ability to balance immune res
ponses is a rare and highly valuable trait for any potential treatment, especially in infectious diseases like COVID-19 where timing and intensity of the immune response can make a huge difference.
What Makes Scutellaria Barbata So Special
Scutellaria Barbata (SBD) contains a rich mix of naturally occurring compounds—141 in total. Many of these compounds, such as apigenin, baicalin, scutellarin, chrysin, and ursolic acid, have already been documented for their antiviral effects. Through computer modeling and lab testing, the researchers identified that several of these ingredients strongly bind to the virus’s main enzymes, further proving their potential to stop the virus from spreading.
While each compound on its own might not be strong enough to serve as a standalone drug, their combined effect within the full extract of SBD seems to create a powerful synergistic impact. This makes the herb not only effective but also more resistant to drug resistance—a common problem seen with many synthetic antivirals.
A Return to Herbal Wisdom in Modern Medicine
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, herbal medicine played a quiet but significant role, especially in countries like China. Scutellaria barbata is not a newcomer. It has been used for generations to treat inflammation, cancer, and infections. Now, with growing scientific validation, its use might go far beyond tradition.
Scutellaria Barbata stands out from many synthetic drugs because it carries fewer side effects and could be more accessible, especially in regions with limited access to expensive pharmaceuticals. The bi-directional immune modulation it offers could make it particularly useful for managing various stages of COVID-19, whether during the initial viral invasion or the later inflammatory phases.
Why This Discovery Matters
With the virus still mutating and new variants showing resistance to existing drugs, it is critical to develop new therapies. Most current antivirals have limitations. For example, molnupiravir poses risks for pregnant women, while Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) has complications with other drugs. In contrast, herbal solutions like Scutellaria Barbata could offer a safer, more holistic, and sustainable alternative.
More research, including human clinical trials, will be needed before Scutellaria Barbata can be widely recommended, but the current findings already provide a strong scientific foundation for its potential role in the COVID-19 treatment landscape.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Virologica Sinica.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1995820X25000392
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