Enhancement of anti-skin inflammatory activities of Scutellaria baicalensis using an alkaline reduced water extraction process

Abstract

WE (water extraction at 100°C for 24 h), EE (70% ethanol extraction at 80°C for 24 h), and AWE (alkaline reduced water extraction at 100°C for 24 h) were performed. Nitric oxide production from macrophages of AWE extracts at 1.0 mg/mL was decreased to 3.1 μmol. Secretion of PGE2 from human fibroblasts was also reduced to 496.47 pg/mL at 1.0 mg/mL of AWE extracts with UV irradiation. Anti-skin inflammatory activities were enhanced by extraction of 8.894 mg/g more baicalein, the major bioactive component in Scutellaria baicalensis, using alkaline reduced water (AWE), compared to 1.157 mg/g for WE and 2.215 mg/g for EE. Improvement was caused by better and more elution of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances using alkaline reduced water and also by a synergistic effect between the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of AWE extracts.