5,7-Dihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone, a benzodiazepine site ligand isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, with selective antagonistic properties.

As part of an effort to identify naturally occurring GABA(A) receptor benzodiazepine binding site (BDS) ligands from traditional medicinal herbs, we previously reported that flavonoid derivatives isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis) Georgi exhibited significant affinities for the BDS. The present study describes the characterization of 5,7-dihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone (oroxylin A), one of the major components of the herbal extract.