Scutellariae Radix
Aliases：Fu Chang、Du Fu、Kong Chang、Zi Qin、Jing Qin、Shan Cha Gen、Yin Tou、Hong Sheng、Su Qin、Yuan Qin、Tiao Qin、Tu Jin Cha Gen、Huang Wen、Nei Xu
Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix) is a Chinese medicinal herb that clears heat and eliminates dampness. It is the dried root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (family Lamiaceae).
Efficacy & Actions
Clear heat and dry dampness, drain fire and resolve toxin, stop bleeding, and calm the fetus.
Indications
Damp‑warm disease, summer‑dampness, chest stuffiness with nausea and vomiting, damp‑heat epigastric stuffiness, diarrhea and dysentery, jaundice, lung heat cough, high fever with vexation and thirst, hematemesis and epistaxis due to blood heat, carbuncles and sores with toxic swelling, and restless fetus (threatened miscarriage).
Modern Pharmacology
Antibacterial and antiviral: Inhibits Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, Diplococcus pneumoniae, influenza virus, etc. Anti-inflammatory: Suppresses the release of inflammatory mediators and alleviates inflammatory reactions. Antioxidant: Scavenges free radicals and protects cells from oxidative damage. Hepatoprotective and choleretic: Protects the liver from injury and promotes bile secretion. Antihypertensive and lipid‑lowering: Exhibits certain blood pressure‑lowering and lipid‑regulating effects. Antitumor: Inhibits tumor cell proliferation and induces apoptosis. Antipyretic: Lowers body temperature; used for high fever in febrile diseases. Hemostatic: Shortens clotting time; used for bleeding due to blood heat. Fetal calming: Clears heat to calm the fetus; used for fetal restlessness due to heat.
Ingredients
Flavonoids: Baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, wogonin, skullcapflavone, etc. Volatile oils: Various terpenoids. Organic acids: Benzoic acid, vanillic acid, etc. Polysaccharides: Scutellaria baicalensis polysaccharides. Others: Amino acids, trace elements (iron, zinc, copper, etc.).
Usage & Dosage
Internal use: 3–10 g in decoction; or used in pills or powders. For clearing Heat, raw Huangqin is preferred; for calming the fetus, stir‑fried Huangqin is preferred; for stopping bleeding, Huangqin charcoal is preferred. External use: Appropriate amount, ground into powder and applied as a paste, or decocted for washing the affected area.
Contraindications
Use with caution in cases of Spleen‑Stomach deficiency cold with poor appetite and loose stools; contraindicated in cases of Yin deficiency with fluid damage.
Selected Formulas
1. For damp‑warm, summer‑dampness, and various damp‑heat patterns Damp‑warm or summer‑dampness with qi stagnation (chest stuffiness, nausea, vomiting, fever that is not high, yellow greasy tongue coating): often combined with Huashi (talcum), Baidoukou (cardamom), Tongcao (tetrapanax), etc. – as in Huangqin Huashi Tang (Scutellaria and Talcum Decoction) from Wenbing Tiaobian. Damp‑heat obstructing the middle jiao (epigastric stuffiness, vomiting): combined with Huanglian (coptis), Ganjiang (dried ginger), Banxia (pinellia) – as in Banxia Xiexin Tang (Pinellia Heart‑Draining Decoction) from Shanghan Lun. Damp‑heat in the large intestine (diarrhea, dysentery): combined with Huanglian and Gegen (kudzu root) – as in Gegen Huangqin Huanglian Tang (Kudzu, Scutellaria and Coptis Decoction) from Shanghan Lun. Damp‑heat jaundice: can be combined with Yinchen (artemisia) and Zhizi (gardenia). 2. For lung‑heat cough Lung‑heat congestion with thick sputum: Huangqin alone – as in Qingjin Wan (Gold‑Clearing Pill) from Danxi Xinfa. Lung‑heat cough with wheezing: combined with Kuxingren (bitter apricot kernel), Sangbaipi (mulberry root bark), Suzi (perilla fruit) – as in Qingfei Tang (Lung‑Clearing Decoction) from Wanbing Huichun. Lung‑heat cough with profuse sputum: combined with Fabanxia (processed pinellia) – as in Huangqin Banxia Wan (Scutellaria and Pinellia Pill) from Xiuzhen Fang Daquan. 3. For bleeding due to blazing fire‑toxin forcing blood to extravasate Hematemesis and epistaxis: often combined with Dahuang (rhubarb) – as in Dahuang Tang (Rhubarb Decoction) from Shengji Zonglu. Hematochezia due to blood heat: combined with Diyu (sanguisorba) and Huaihua (sophora flower). Metrorrhagia: combined with Danggui (angelica) – as in Ziqin Wan (Scutellaria Pill) from Gujin Yijian. 4. For carbuncles, sores, and hemorrhoids due to blazing fire‑toxin Carbuncles and sores: often combined with Huanglian, Huangbai (phellodendron), and Zhizi – as in Huanglian Jiedu Tang (Coptis Toxin‑Resolving Decoction) from Waitai Miyao. Hemorrhoidal pain due to heat‑toxin stagnation: combined with Huanglian, Dahuang, and Huaihua. 5. For threatened miscarriage (fetal irritability) Due to blood heat: combined with Shengdihuang (raw rehmannia) and Huangbai – as in Baoyin Jian (Yin‑Preserving Decoction) from Jingyue Quanshu. Due to qi deficiency with blood heat: combined with Baizhu (atractylodes) – as in Qinzhu Tang (Scutellaria and Atractylodes Decoction) from Yixue Rumen. Due to kidney deficiency with heat: combined with Shudihuang (prepared rehmannia), Xuduan (dipsacus), and Renshen (ginseng) – as in Taishan Panshi San (Mount Tai Rock‑Solid Powder) from Jingyue Quanshu.
Daily Consumption
Huangqin (Baikal Skullcap) is a bitter-cold herb used for clearing heat and drying dampness. It is NOT for daily health maintenance. Use only under TCM guidance for short-term treatment of excess heat patterns. Decoction: 3-10g, decoct in water for 20-30 min. For lung heat cough, sore throat, damp-heat diarrhea. Tea (short-term): 3-6g steep in boiling water for 10 min. Drink no more than 3-5 days. Congee: 5g decocted, use liquid to cook 50g rice. For lung heat with dry cough. Stewed pear: 6g with one pear and rock sugar, stew 30 min. For dry cough due to lung heat. Contraindications: Spleen-stomach deficiency cold (diarrhea, cold stomach pain), pregnancy, menstruation, yin deficiency with fluid damage. Avoid concurrent use with warming tonics (e.g., ginseng, astragalus, cinnamon).
Medicinal Parts
dried root
Selection & Storage
Store in a well-ventilated, dry place, protected from moisture; keep wine‑processed Huangqin (Jiu Huangqin) in airtight containers.