Baikal Skullcap is one of the most interesting medicinal plants in the world.
Description: a perennial growing to ca. 40 cm. In Poland this plant can be found only in botanical gardens or small specialized plantations. Thus, it was hardly seen by Poles on their own eyes. It can be recognized by its sapphire or purple blossoms with characteristic shape of a disc on sepals and by very branched stem. Flowers are similar in shape to deadnettle. Flowering time is July.
Origin: Eastern Siberia, China, Mongolia, Japan.
Use of raw material in medicine: dried and shredded roots are drained immediately after digging in order to prevent the material from greening.
Demonstrated therapeutic effect: Baikal Skullcap has been used as one of the fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese Medicine from the time immemorial. Due to its high biological activity, skullcap and the ingredients demonstrate multi-therapeutic effects, such as:
- anti-inflammatory effect, compared with activity of ibuprofen, sulphasalazine and even prednisolone;
- antibacterial effect (especially on Gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains);
- antifungal effect (espiecially on Candida albicans);
- antiviral effect; and
- antiallergic effect.
Abovedescribed properties of skullcap are used in manufacture of the medicinal products: Baikadent gel, recommended in the treatment of oral cavity diseases, and Baikaderm cream, recommended in the treatment of inflammation of the skin.
