Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: P019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P019
Published online: 22 April 2026
The effect of solvent on the phytochemical profile of Scutellaria baicalensis extracts
Natalia Pasula and Łukasz Sęczyk*
Department of Industrial and Medicinal Plants, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 15 Akademicka St., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: tlukasz.seczyk@up.edu.pl
Scutellaria baicalensis (Baikal skullcap) is a perennial medicinal plant widely used in traditional East Asian medicine, particularly in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The dried root (Radix Scutellariae) constitutes the primary pharmacologically active raw material employed for therapeutic purposes. This plant is rich in flavonoids and their glycosides, including baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, wogonin, and scutellarin, which are considered its main bioactive constituents. These compounds exhibit a broad spectrum of biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer effects. Owing to these properties, S. baicalensis has been extensively investigated for its potential applications in the prevention and treatment of various chronic diseases.
The differences in solvent properties, such as polarity, may lead to variations in the extractability of bioactive compounds, and thus affect the suitability of the extracts for specific nutraceutical applications. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different solvents, i.e., water, 50% ethanol (v/v), and 96.6% ethanol (v/v), on the phytochemical profile of Baikal skullcap root extracts. Powdered Baikal skullcap roots were subjected to ultrasound-assisted extraction at 60 °C for 2 h, using water, 50%, or 96.6% ethanol. The content of the main phytochemicals, i.e., baicalin, wogonoside, baicalein, wogonin, and scutellarin, was monitored using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).The chromatographic separation was performed using an Agilent 1260 system equipped with an octadecyl stationary phase column and a mobile phase composed of 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile in gradient mode.
The results indicate that the solvent type significantly affects the extraction efficiency of the analyzed compounds. The highest concentrations of most compounds, especially baicalin and wogonoside, which are the dominant compounds, were obtained using 50% ethanol, suggesting that a hydroalcoholic mixture is the most effective solvent. In contrast, pure ethanol resulted in a markedly lower baicalin and scutellarin content, indicating reduced solubility of these compounds. Water extracts showed intermediate values, generally lower than 50% ethanol but higher than or comparable to pure ethanol for several compounds (baicalin, wogonoside, and scutellarin). Overall, a 50% ethanol solution yielded the highest extraction efficiency among the solvents tested, making it the most appropriate choice for isolating bioactive Scutellaria baicalensis phytochemicals.
Keywords: baicalin; baikal skullcap; extraction; HPLC; polyphenols
How to cite
Pasula N., Sęczyk Ł., 2026. The effect of solvent on the phytochemical profile of Scutellaria baicalensis extracts. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.P019