The protective effects of baicalin for respiratory diseases: an update and future perspectives

Abstract

Background: Respiratory diseases are common and frequent diseases. Due to the high pathogenicity and side effects of respiratory diseases, the discovery of new strategies for drug treatment is a hot area of research. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) has been used as a medicinal herb in China for over 2000 years. Baicalin (BA) is a flavonoid active ingredient extracted from SBG that BA has been found to exert various pharmacological effects against respiratory diseases. However, there is no comprehensive review of the mechanism of the effects of BA in treating respiratory diseases. This review aims to summarize the current pharmacokinetics of BA, baicalin-loaded nano-delivery system, and its molecular mechanisms and therapeutical effects for treating respiratory diseases.Method: This review reviewed databases such as PubMed, NCBI, and Web of Science from their inception to 13 December 2022, in which literature was related to “baicalin”, “Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi”, “COVID-19”, “acute lung injury”, “pulmonary arterial hypertension”, “asthma”, “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”, “pulmonary fibrosis”, “lung cancer”, “pharmacokinetics”, “liposomes”, “nano-emulsions”, “micelles”, “phospholipid complexes”, “solid dispersions”, “inclusion complexes”, and other terms.Result: The pharmacokinetics of BA involves mainly gastrointestinal hydrolysis, the enteroglycoside cycle, multiple metabolic pathways, and excretion in bile and urine. Due to the poor bioavailability and solubility of BA, liposomes, nano-emulsions, micelles, phospholipid complexes, solid dispersions, and inclusion complexes of BA have been developed to improve its bioavailability, lung targeting, and solubility. BA exerts potent effects mainly by mediating upstream oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and immune response pathways. It regulates are the NF-κB, PI3K/AKT, TGF-β/Smad, Nrf2/HO-1, and ERK/GSK3β pathways.Conclusion: This review presents comprehensive information on BA about pharmacokinetics, baicalin-loaded nano-delivery system, and its therapeutic effects and potential pharmacological mechanisms in respiratory diseases. The available studies suggest that BA has excellent possible treatment of respiratory diseases and is worthy of further investigation and development.

Opportunities and Challenges for Inhalable Nanomedicine Formulations in Respiratory Diseases: A Review

“… 19 , 88 When nanoparticles enter the lungs, they may be transferred to other organs by other means, such as the blood, causing damage to other organs. 89 The potential toxic effects of nanoparticles within the lungs may depend on the particle surface chemistry and size, and research has indicated that smaller nanoparticles can reduce their toxicity to some extent, cause them to metabolize better in the body, and reduce damage to the body. 90 , 91 …”

The emerging role of lncRNAs in osteoarthritis development and potential therapy

“…Baicalin, a flavonoid isolated from the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae), has been primarily used in traditional Chinese Medicine ( Srinivas, 2010 ). Baicalin has been reported to treat different diseases via exerting its various functions, such as anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory effects ( Li et al, 2021 ; Ganguly et al, 2022 ; Song et al, 2023 ; Wang and Li, 2023 ). Baicalin has shown its protective functions in OA pathological process.…”