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Plant Source Foods
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
Angelica or Radix Angelicae Sinensis (also named Dong Quai or Danggui in Chinese) is the dried root of Angelica sinensis (Apiaceae) which is a fragrant and perennial herb native to China, Japan, and Korea. It has been used in Chinese traditional medicine since antiquity (291–293). The chemical constituents of the Angelica extract are classified into essential oil and water-soluble parts. The volatile oil is constituted of many alkyl phthalides (ligustilides) and some terpenes. The water-soluble part or non-volatile fraction includes phenylpropanoids (ferulic acid, coniferyl ferulate), phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, organic acids, benzenoids, and coumarins. Polysaccharide fractions of low relative molecular mass are also present (291–293). In traditional Chinese medicine, Angelica root replenishes blood, promotes blood circulation, relieves pain, and moistens the intestines. It is used to treat chronic constipation and menstrual disorders (291–293). Research has found that Angelica and its active components have anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, anti-arthrosclerotic, and anti-inflammatory properties (293). However, the therapeutic properties of Angelica are still not approved by the Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization. Angelica should not be administered to children or patients with diarrhea, hemorrhage or hypermenorrhea, and should not be used during pregnancy or lactation (291–292). Some side effects such as headaches have been observed. Dried crude powder and fluid extracts of Angelica root are the two forms orally used (291–292).
Monographs of essential oils that have caused contact allergy / allergic contact dermatitis
Published in Anton C. de Groot, Monographs in Contact Allergy, 2021
Angelica archangelica L. is an aromatic, perennial herb that grows up to 2 meter tall. The plant is native to the temperate regions of Asia (Caucasus, Siberia), northern, middle and east Europe, and the Himalayas, and has become widely naturalized in northern temperate regions. The plant is cultivated in Italy, Germany, Finland, Hungary, and several other countries including Korea, India and North America (GRIN Taxonomy for Plants; www.kew.org). Commercial angelica root and fruit oils are mostly obtained from cultivated Angelica archangelica L. ssp. angelica var. sativa (10). Essential oils of the fruits (often incorrectly referred to as ‘seeds’, as the seeds are contained within the fruits) and roots of Angelica archangelica are used for healing purposes, as spice and as fragrance component in perfumery (7) and cosmetics. Angelica root oils are also part of aromatherapy practices (9). The biological activities and medicinal uses of Angelica archangelica L. have been reviewed in references 6 and 8.
The Orient
Published in Michael J. O’Dowd, The History of Medications for Women, 2020
The first reference to anesthetics in Chinese medicine came during the lifetime of the great Han physician, Hua Tuo (AD 141–208). He used narcotic preparations which included Indian hemp (Cannabis indica, also known as bhang, hashish and marihuana, a psychotropic), monkshood (Aconitum napellus, contains aconite, an analgesic and sedative) and a variety of thorn apple (Datura metel, from the Hindi, dhatura, and containing atropine and other alkaloids). He also introduced the therapeutic Kung-Fu exercises which were based on the rhythmic movements of the bear, crane, deer, monkey and tiger. Towards the close of the Han dynasty, most of the elements which make up Chinese medicine were already firmly in place. These included dietary regulations, science, sexual code, spiritual beliefs, therapeutic exercises, and herbal pharmacopoeia. Angelica (Angelica sinensis), the second most important Chinese tonic after ginseng, was used at the time for menstrual disorders and is still prescribed for the same reasons in China and in Western herbal medicine. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), ginger (Zingiber officinale), ginseng (Panax ginseng), pinellia (Pinellia ternata), and wormwood (Artemisia sp.) were also available for gynecological treatments. Those herbal remedies became popular in Europe and are still used.
A novel nano material for anti-cerebral ischaemia: preparation and application of borneol angelica polysaccharide liposomes
Published in Journal of Liposome Research, 2023
Huang Ding, Ke Wang, Lin-Qin He, Xiao-Yu Yang, Hai-Hong Huang, Wen-Long Liu, Chen Xiao, Ze- Xuan Du, Lian- Yu, Wei Zhang
Under the guidance of traditional Chinese medicine theory, with angelica polysaccharide as “the principal drug,” borneol and liposomes function as “the adjuvant drugs” for synergistic effects. Combined with the novel liposome technology, AP and borneol were encapsulated by liposomes to prepare BAPL. As the carrier, liposomes can improve the liposolubility of AP. Under the synergistic effect of borneol, AP easily penetrates the BBB and can have a better effect on anti-cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion inflammatory reactions. This study provides new ideas for the treatment of cerebral ischaemic diseases with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine and provides new methods for nanomedicine research and the modern application of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, the preparation of BAPL and its anti-cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion inflammatory reaction has important research value. The diagram of the synergistic effect between Angelica sinensis and borneol is shown in Figure 1.
Hypoxia responsive nano-drug delivery system based on angelica polysaccharide for liver cancer therapy
Published in Drug Delivery, 2022
Xue Liu, Zhenfeng Wu, Chunjing Guo, Huimin Guo, Yanguo Su, Qiang Chen, Changgang Sun, Qingming Liu, Daquan Chen, Hongjie Mu
Natural polysaccharides, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) (Fang et al., 2019), astragalus polysaccharides (APS), angelica polysaccharides (ASP), and a series of plant polysaccharides, have attracted more and more attention due to their high biocompatibility during the construction of carrier materials. Angelica, as a medicinal and edible homologous plant, appears in a variety of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions (Wang et al., 2020b; Guo et al., 2021). At the same time, as a traditional Chinese medicine, Angelica has its unique nature, taste, and meridian theory. It can target the liver, one of its essences lies in the existence of polysaccharide components. ASP is part of the principal active components in Angelica sinensis, which can enhance the body's immunity, anti-tumor activity, and has good liver targeting (Gao et al., 2017; Xiao et al., 2017). ASP showed a high affinity for the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) (Guo et al., 2021), which is the most well-known target receptor in hepatocytes. In the light of this information, it is a good strategy to construct ASP-based nanoparticles through chemical modification to achieve liver targeting.
Vanillic acid attenuates amyloid β1-40-induced long-term potentiation deficit in male rats: an in vivo investigation
Published in Neurological Research, 2021
Nesa Ahmadi, Naser Mirazi, Alireza Komaki, Samaneh Safari, Abdolkarim Hosseini
A form of vanillin which is oxidized, vanillic acid (VA) (4-hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid), is an antioxidant that is phenolic and as a secondary metabolite is mostly found in natural products (e.g. honey) and honey plants. It is usually adopted as a flavoring agent and food additive; elicited from the roots of Angelica sinensis medical plant, it is used in Chinese traditional medication in its raw shape [11]. Recent studies have revealed that VA has various pharmacological features such as being anti-inflammatory and antioxidant [12,13]. It has been shown that VA impedes the pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 through the reservation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activity. Also, VA hampers the receptor-interacting protein (RIP)-2/caspase-1 pathway and the production of nitric oxide (NO), resulting in anti-inflammatory responses in male rats [14].