Investigation Of The Absorption Mechanisms Of Baicalin And Baicalein

Baicalin (BG) and baicalein (B), a flavone glucuronide and its aglycone, are main active constituents of Scutellariae Radix, which is widely used in clinical traditional Chinese medicine as a treatment for inflammation, fever, etc. Recent studies demonstrated various pharmacological effects of BG and B, such as antitumor, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antileukemic, cardioprotective, antiproliferative, antiradical, etc.. In previous studies, BG had been found to be absorbed as B formed by the intestinal bacteria, and then restored to its original form in the body. Therefore, the overall realization and comparison of the absorption mechanisms of BG and B are significant to their clinical application. However, few studies have been performed on these aspects in mammals.In order to solve these problems, the method of in situ perfusion in rats was adopted, and two RP-HPLC methods were established. In this study, we investigated the absorption activities of BG and B in the gastrointestinal tract; studied the effect of bile on their absorption; surveyed the mutual transformation between them; discovered and confirmed the intestinal excretion of BG, all of which are important to the exploiture of Scutellariae Radix.