Angelica pubescens root -- Du Huo -- has historically been used to treat arthritis, headache, and stasis of blood. Angelica contains osthole, which may inhibit platelet aggregation and thromboxane formation, and also has vasodilating properties. For a list of herbs used in Chinese medicine, see Chinese Herbs.

What's in angelica root?
A number of compounds are present in angelica pubescens, including columbianetin, columbianetin acetate, osthol or osthole, isoangelol, anpubesol and other coumarins.

Angelica pubescens potential benefit
This plant appears to interfere with 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and cyclooxygenase (COX-1) activity in vitro. Compounds within Angelica pubescens have anti-inflammatory activity.

Review and summary
Angelica pubescens is used in the Orient for its calming effects. In the US, some libido-enhancing products include Angelica pubescens in their formulation, however I have not come across research regarding the aphrodisiac properties of angelica pubescens. See a Medical Doctor Formulated Sexual Enhancement Pills.

Angelica Pubescens Root Research
Influence of traditional Chinese anti-inflammatory medicinal plants on leukocyte and platelet functions.
Journal Pharm Pharmacology. 2003.
The enzymes 5-lipoxygenase and elastase are therapeutic targets in dermatological disorders such as psoriasis. Fifteen extracts from traditional Chinese medicinal plants used to treat topical inflammations were screened for their inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase and elastase activity in intact leukocytes and platelets. Astragalus membranaceus, Forsythia suspensa and Poria cocos inhibited 5-lipoxygenase. The latter two species, along with Angelica dahurica and Angelica pubescens, also inhibited elastase, while Angelica pubescens, Atractylodes macrocephala, Lentinus edodes, Rehmannia glutinosa and Paeonia lactiflora selectively inhibited 12-(S)-HHTrE production, a valid marker of cyclooxygenase activity. The inhibition of phospholipase A(2) activity by Poria cocos is discussed. Dehydrotumulosic and pachymic acids, which have been isolated from Poria cocos, were shown to inhibit leukotriene B(4) release. The results indicate that both Poria cocos and Forsythia suspensa are potentially valuable species in the management of skin pathologies involving chronic inflammation.

Inhibitory effects of Angelica pubescens f. biserrata on 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase.
Planta Med. 1998.
Linoleic acid, osthol, osthenol and two polyacetylenes, falcarindiol and 11(S),16(R)-dihydroxyoctadeca-9Z,17-diene-12,14-diyn-1 -yl acetate were found to be the most active compounds responsible for the inhibitory activity of the dichloromethane extract of the roots of Angelica pubescens f. biserrata on 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and cyclooxygenase (COX-1) in vitro.

Antiproliferative effect in rat vascular smooth muscle cells by osthole, isolated from Angelica pubescens.
Eur J Pharmacol. 1996.
The antiproliferative effect of osthole on rat vascular smooth muscle cells was examined in this study. These results suggest that osthole is a selective antiproliferative agent in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities from roots of Angelica pubescens.
Planta Med. 1995.
In the present study, we extracted Angelica pubescens with various solvents in order to find the bioactive constituents that demonstrated analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. The results were obtained as follows: (1) Methanol-, chloroform-, and ethyl acetate-extracts effectively reduced the pain that was induced by 1% acetic acid and a hot plate. (2) Methanol-, chloroform-, and ethyl acetate-extracts reduced the edema that was induced by 3% formalin or 1.5% carrageenan. (3) Sixteen compounds have been isolated and identified from the roots of Angelica pubescens. Among these compounds, columbianadin, columbianetin acetate, bergapten, umbelliferone, and caffeic acid significantly demonstrated anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities at 10 mg/kg. However, only osthole and xanthotoxin revealed anti-inflammatory activity. Isoimperatorin only demonstrated an analgesic effect. These results revealed that the anti-inflammatory and analgesic constituents were related to peripheral inhibition of inflammatory substances and to the influence on the central nervous system.

The relaxant action of osthole isolated from Angelica pubescens in guinea-pig trachea.
Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 1994.
The effect of osthole, isolated from Angelica pubescens, on the contraction of guinea-pig trachea was studied. Osthole, theophylline and higher concentrations of nifedipine suppressed the contraction response curves of tracheal smooth muscle caused by carbachol, prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha), U46619 (thromboxane A2 analogue) and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) in a concentration-dependent manner. Osthole enhanced the increase in tissue cAMP and cGMP levels induced by forskolin and sodium nitroprusside, respectively, and in higher concentrations, itself increased markedly tissue cAMP and cGMP contents. Osthole inhibited the activity of cAMP and cGMP phosphodiesterases in a concentration-dependent manner. It is concluded that osthole exerts a non-specific relaxant effect on the trachealis by inhibiting the cAMP and cGMP phosphodiesterases.

Angelica species
Angelica is a genus of about 50 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs that grow in the Northern Hemisphere.

Angelica ampla - Giant Angelica
Angelica bella
A breweri - Brewer's Angelica
dahurica - bai zhi in Chinese
genuflexa - Kneeling Angelica
A gigas - Cham dangwi in Korean
Angelica keiskei -- Ashitaba in Japanese
A roseana - Rose Angelica
A sinensis - Dong quai
A sylvestris - Wild Angelica
A tomentosa - Woolly Angelica
Angelica venosa - Hairy Angelica