''Shuanghuanglian'' (Chinese: 双黄连) is a

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

with a long history for treating respiratory tract infection in China. Some of its active ingredients are Wogonin,

Baicalin As baicalin is a flavone glycoside, it is a flavonoid. It is the glucuronide of baicalein. Natural occurrences Baicalin is found in several species in the genus ''Scutellaria'', including ''Scutellaria baicalensis'', and ''Scutellaria laterifl ...

and

baicalein Baicalein (5,6,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a flavone, a type of flavonoid, originally isolated from the roots of '' Scutellaria baicalensis'' and '' Scutellaria lateriflora''. It is also a constituent of '' Oroxylum indicum'' (Indian trumpetflower) ...

. It is derived from three Chinese herbal medicines, namely, Japanese honeysuckle (''

Lonicera japonica ''Lonicera japonica'', known as Japanese honeysuckle and golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to East Asia, including many parts of China. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has become an invasive species i ...

'' Thunb.), Baikal skullcap ('' Scutellaria baicalensis'' Georgi), and weeping forsythia ('' Forsythia suspensa'' (Thunb.) Vahl). It has been used for the treatment of acute respiratory tract infections since 1973. It is mentioned in the '' Chinese Pharmacopoeia''. The substance has been shown ''

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning ''in glass'', or ''in the glass'') Research, studies are performed with Cell (biology), cells or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in ...

'' to be cytotoxic "against a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2".

History

In July 2020, Su et al reported on an ''

'' experiment of its effect on

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. Following the release of the report, which was in part supported by the Jack Ma Foundation, there was an uptick in Shuanghuanglian sales.

References

{{reflist Traditional Chinese medicine