Angelica pubescens root - Du Huo - has historically been used in Chinese herbal medicine to treat arthritis, headache, and stasis of blood. Angelica contains osthole, which may inhibit platelet aggregation and thromboxane formation, and also has blood vessel dilating properties.
What's in angelica root, what are the ingredients?
A number of compounds are present in this plant, 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.
Research, anti inflammatory
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 were
found to be the most active compounds responsible for the inhibitory
activity of the dichloromethane extract of the roots of Angelica pubescens 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 Pharmacology. 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: Methanol-, chloroform-, and ethyl acetate-extracts
effectively reduced the pain that was induced by 1% acetic acid and a hot
plate. Methanol-, chloroform-, and ethyl acetate-extracts reduced the
edema that was induced by 3% formalin or 1.5% carrageenan. 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.
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
J Med Food. 2012. Ultrafine Angelica gigas powder normalizes ovarian hormone levels and has antiosteoporosis
properties in ovariectomized rats: particle size effect. Department of
Food Science and Technology, Sejong University, Seoul, Korea. The root
of Angelica gigas (Korean angelica) is traditionally used to treat
women's ailments that are caused by an impairment of menstrual blood
flow and cycle irregularities. Component substances, include
decursin (the main substance), decursinol angelate, JH714 (ether form of
decursin) and epoxide decursin.
A. keiskei -- Ashitaba in Japanese
A roseana - Rose Angelica
A sinensis - Dong quai
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2012. Research progress studies on
pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of ligustilide. Key Laboratory of
Separation Science for Analytical Chemistry, Dalian Institute of
Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Science, Dalian, China. Ligustilide
is contained highly or around 1% in such umbelliferous plants as
Angelica sinensis and Ligusticum chuanxiong, is one of main bioactive
constituents. It shows many pharmacological activities related to their
efficacy. At present, ligustilide has attracted extensive attention and
more and more studies have been reported, indicating that it is a
promising compound. This essay summarizes the progress of
pharmacological effects of ligustilide on neuroprotection,
vasodilatation, anti-caner and anti-tumor, analgesia and
anti-inflammation, and pharmacokinetics including absorption,
distribution, metabolism and excretion, providing basis for further
studies and development of ligustilide.
A sylvestris - Wild
A tomentosa - Woolly
Angelica venosa - Hairy
Historical perspective
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2014. Herbal textual research on origin and
development of traditional Chinese medicine "duhuo" and "qianghuo". To clarify
the origin and development of the traditional Chinese medicine "Duhuo" and "Qianghuo"
with medicinal literatures. Medical literatures of past dynasties were analysed
and combined with the modern material. The "Duhuo" in Herbal writing Shen Nong
Ben Cao Jing include traditional Chinese medicine "Duhuo" and "Qianghuo", "Qianghuo"
was separated from "Duhuo" due to the distinguish of clinical application. The
origin of "Qianghuo" is Notopterygium incisum and N. forbesii, However, The
origin of "Duhuo" is very complex, Angelica pubescens f. biserrata as authentic
"Duhuo" was used from Song Dynasty. "Qianghuo" was originated from "Duhuo".