Specialists of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR) have bred a new variety of Baikal skullcap called “Amethyst”. It can be used as a sedative and hypotensive agent for the treatment of various forms of hypertension. This was reported to socialbites.ca by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
Baikal skullcap is a perennial herbaceous plant 15-35 cm high. The distribution of the plant in Russia is limited to the Amur basin and Lake Khanka. Scutellaria roots flavonoids, phenolcarboxylic acids, starch (up to 17%), tannins (up to 15%), monosaccharides (8.5%), sterols, diterpenes, essential oil, alkaloids, resins (2-5%), macro – and trace elements.
According to scientists, the natural reserves of the Baikal skullcap are rapidly declining and the species must be bred to preserve natural populations.
“The new variety has already been patented,” Nikita Kovalev, head of the agrobiology laboratory, candidate of agricultural sciences, told socialbites.ca. “It is characterized by a stable raw material and seed yield, as well as a relatively high content of biologically active substances. In particular, the dry root mass of a plant per hectare can vary from 1.6 to 1.8 tons, fruits – about 27 kg per hectare. This will ensure that agricultural producers receive the required amount of high-quality medicinal plant material.”
The new variety is approved for use in Russia and is included in the State Register of Cultivation Achievements Approved for Use.