Impact of Blue Light on Plant Growth, Flowering and Accumulation of Medicinal Flavones in Scutellaria baicalensis and S. lateriflora

Abstract

Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Baikal skullcap) and S. lateriflora (American skullcap) are two ethnobotanical medicinal plants used to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory, and inflammatory disorders, in addition to demonstrated anti-cancer properties. The predominant bioactive compounds produced in these species are unique 4′-deoxyflavones, in roots of S. baicalensis and leaves of S. lateriflora, making these two species suitable to study the effects of light quality on flavone accumulation in aerial and underground tissues. Light emitting diodes were used to study the impact of blue-dominated spectrum on the accumulation of bioactive flavones. Eight major flavones, including 4′-deoxyflavones baicalein, wogonin, baicalin, wogonoside and chrysin, along with 4′-hydroxyflavones scutellarein, scutellarin and apigenin, were quantified using HPLC in high flavone accumulating tissues. Aerial tissues directly exposed to blue light in S. lateriflora showed an increase in the concentrations of scutellarein by 18.7%, scutellarin by 296%, and baicalin by 31.6%. While the roots in S. baicalensis also had significant increases in baicalein by 154% and wogonin by 76% in response to blue light, there was a slight reduction in their respective glycosides baicalin and wogonoside as well as a decrease in total flavone content. Blue light resulted in compact skullcap plants with early flowering and modified flavone profiles.

Identification of inhibitors from a functional food-based plant Perillae Folium against hyperuricemia via metabolomics profiling, network pharmacology and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations

“…Scutellarein, a common ingredient identified in many herbal medicines, such as Scutellaria baicalensis (79) and Perilla frutescens (29,80), was reported to exert anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-tumor, hepatoprotective, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-oxidant effect (81). As the previous studies showed, scutellarein from different sources, including Indian medicinal plants, Perilla frutescens, Salvia plebeia, and Salvia officinalis L., had a potent inhibitory effect on XDH in vitro (29,73,77,82) and played a significant role in reducing the serum uric acid in vivo (77).…”

Diverse Flowering Response to Blue Light Manipulation: Application of Electric Lighting in Controlled-Environment Plant Production

“…Scutellaria lateriflora (American skullcap) and Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Baikal skullcap) are two ethnobotanical medicinal plants used to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory, and inflammatory disorders, in addition to demonstrated anti-cancer properties [78]. The predominant bioactive compounds produced in these genotypes are unique 4-deoxyflavones, in the roots of S. baicalensis and leaves of S. lateriflora [78]. For these skullcap plants grown indoors under sole-source lighting with a broad spectrum, higher BL proportions benefit flowering and morphology, but its effects on other metrics vary with plant genotype.…”

“…For these skullcap plants grown indoors under sole-source lighting with a broad spectrum, higher BL proportions benefit flowering and morphology, but its effects on other metrics vary with plant genotype. For example, sole-source lighting with higher-BL broad-spectrum LED (84% B) resulted in earlier flowering, caused more compact plants, and increased flavone accumulation in leaves for S. lateriflora but decreased it in roots for S. baicalensis Georgi, compared with lower-BL broad-spectrum LED (18% B) [78].…”