Stroke and
myocardial infarction are among the most common causes of mortality and disability in the world. The ischemic injury underlying these illnesses is complex, involving intricate interplays among many biological functions including energy metabolism, vascular regulation, hemodynamics, oxidative stress,
inflammation, platelet activation, and tissue repair that take place in a context- and time-dependent manner. The current
drug therapy of choice is to timely resupply the blood to the ischemic tissue; but reperfusion may introduce additional harm to the tissue through a process known as
ischemia/reperfusion injury. As such, new drugs that would
complement reperfusion by providing neural and cardiovascular protection and by targeting
multiple abnormalities in
ischemia are receiving increased attention.
Scutellarin is an herbal
flavonoid glucuronide with multiple pharmacological activities. Owing to its multiple beneficial effects, such as
anti-oxidant, anti-
inflammation, vascular relaxation, anti-platelet, anti-coagulation, and myocardial protection,
scutellarin has been used clinically to treat
stroke,
myocardial infarction, and
diabetic complications. Over the past three decades, clinical and pharmacological studies have accumulated a body of evidence that not only demonstrated these
therapeutic effects, but also provided significant insights into the pharmacokinetic behavior, therapeutic profile, and mode of action of
scutellarin in humans and animal models. Medicinal modification and new drug delivery methods have led to the development of new derivatives and formulations of
scutellarin with improved bioavailability, efficacy, and safety. Here we review the current literature on
scutellarin to provide a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacological activity, mechanism of action, toxicity, and therapeutic potential of
scutellarin for the treatment of
ischemia,
diabetic complications, and other
chronic diseases.