Preparation of Wogonin from Radix Scutellariae and its Inhibitory Effects on the Growth of HepG2 Cells

Context: Wogonin as one of the main bioactive components of Radix Scutellariae is promising for cancer therapy. However efficiency of preparation of wogonin is low.

Objective: The present study was aimed to develop an efficient method for preparative separation of high-purity wogonin from Radix Scutellariae and evaluate its inhibitory effects on HepG2 cell proliferation.

Materials and Methods: Radix Scutellariae was hydrolyzed in water (pH 5) for 12 h and then extracted with 95% ethanol. The extractum was separated with 30-60 mesh polyamide resin column. Fraction with wogonin was subjected to highspeed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). Human HepG2 cells were cultured in different concentrations of prepared wogonin in vitro. Cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT.

Results: 525 mg of wogonin was obtained from 50 g of raw Radix Scutellariae, with a purity of 98.7%. Wogonin (12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 μM) dose-dependently inhibited the growth of HepG2 cells.

Conclusion: An efficient method for preparing high-purity wogonin was established.