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Angelica Root and Its Benefit.

 Contents:

• Basic Botanical Data of Angelica Spectrum and Family.
• What does Angelica and Angelica Root Mean?
• Narrative History and Archeology of Angelica Spectrum.
• Traditional Uses of Angelica Family.
• Narrative and Description of Chinese Angelica.
• Application and function of Chinese Angelica Root.
• Phytochemicals and Contents of Chinese Angelica Root.
• Dong Quai Root Aid for hormones Using.
• Chinese Angelica Root.Dang Gui and Its Modern Indications.
• Chinese Angelica Root Modern Research.
• Narrative and Description of European Angelica.
• Application and Uses of European Angelica.

 Chinese Angelica Root Modern Research.

1.Narrative and Description of European Angelica:

 Wild angelica (Angelica sylvestris) is also known as "Ground Ash" with white flowers in the summer often tinged with pink. Wild angelica can be confused with poisonous wild hemlock flowers, so do not pick them unless you absolutely know the difference! The stems of these plants are 3 to 4 1/2 feet (1 to 1.5 meters) tall, erect, hollow, and coarse, with many oil tubes. The compound leaves form groups of three leaflets; leaf stalks have inflated bases that sheath the stem. Leaflets are ovate, toothed and not hairy. The inflorescence, an umbel, has no involucre. The flowers are greenish white.
 Angelica can only be grown from seed, but it loses it viability after 3 months. Sow preferably when it is fresh, in the spring or fall. If this cannot be done for some reason, store in the refrigerator or freezer. As seedlings do not transplant well, sow in planting position and thin to about 3 feet between the plants. If maintaining for another season, mark the spot as the plant will die back fully during the winter.
 Angelica dislikes hot and humid climates and appreciates a spot in the garden where it can be in the shade for some part of the day. It can be a difficult plant to accommodate in a small garden, as it needs a lot of space. Site as the back of a border, or perhaps near a wall where the splendid plant architecture can be shown off. Make sure that the soil is deep and moist. Add well-rotted compost to help retain moisture.
 Angelica forms a big clump of foliage in the first summer and dramatic flowers the second, dying back after the seed is set. A plant will propagate itself if allowed to self-seed. But by cutting back in the autumn, and preventing the flower head from seeding, the same plant can sometimes by maintained as a short-lived perennial for approximately 4 years.
 Harvest the leaves for fresh use in the spring; for drying, in early summer. The aromatic leaves can be used in potpourri. Pick the flowers in early summer for dried arrangements. Collect the seeds when they begin to ripen. Harvest roots for use medicinally in the second fall immediately after flowering. Angelica stems are used as a decorative confectionery for cakes. Young leaves can be used to season salads and the seeds can be added to breads and pastries.
 Distribution:Native of North America, Europe, and Asia. Wild angelica is found in moist fields and hedgerows in the northeastern and northcentral United States and Canada. Angelica, is also widely cultivated as a garden plant. Angelica lucida grows in coastal Alaska and the Alaska Range, eastern Siberia, and Canada. Angelica genuflexa is less widely distributed, occurring in the coastal zone of southeastern and central Alaska and on the Aleutians. Other species of Angelica appear in China and Europe.

 Active Constituents of Europe Angelica:
 
 Key components:caffeic acid derivatives,fatty oil,furanocoumarins (angelicin, bergaptene, imperatorin, oxypeucedanin, xantholtoxin),flavonoids,phytosterols,volatile oil (mainly betaphellandrene).
 
 Constituents :The chief constituents of Angelica are about 1 per cent. of volatile oil, valeric acid, angelic acid, sugar, a bitter principle, and a peculiar resin called Angelicin, which is stimulating to the lungs and to the skin. The essential oil of the roots contains terebangelene and other terpenes; the oil of the 'seeds' contains in addition methyl-ethylacetic acid and hydroxymyristic acid.
 Active substances:ligustilide, butyl phthalide, butylene phthalide, ferulic acid, polysaccharides.etc.Information is available only for A. archangelica, a European species. A volatile oil, angelic acid, and resin are listed in The Merck Index. Taskinen and Nykanen describe a large number of constituents including g-phellandrene, borneol, pentadecanolide, 2-methyl butyric acid, and monoterpene hydrocarbons. The musklike odor of angelica root oil is attributed to the lactone of hydroxypentadecanoic acid
 

2.Application and Uses of European Angelica:

 Key Actions:antispasmodic,carminative,diuretic,expectorant,promotes sweating,stimulates gastric secretions,topical anti-inflammatory (root extract),uterine stimulant,etc.
 1.A. lucida root used as a medicine on the outside of the body:
 for aches, pains, sores, cuts, blood poisoning, and any kind of infection. They first cut up the root and mash it, then boil the mashed root or soak it in hot water. Then they place it on the place needing treatment. (Karl) Older Eskimos would slice the roots into two parts, heat the halves and place them over the area of the body that hurt, even for deep pain. (Smith) One of the few Alaskan plant medicinal use citations in Hulten concerns A. lucida: The Siberian Eskimos inhaled the fumes of the roasted root as a seasickness remedy.
 2.Angelica leaves were used as a poultice by the island and Iliamna Tanainas.
 European A. archangelica virtues were praised in old writings. The plant name itself testifies to the great antiquity of a belief in its merits for protecting against contagion, for purifying the blood, and for curing every conceivable malady. It was held a sovereign remedy for poisoning, indigestion, general debility, agues, and all infectious maladies. (Grieve, Simmonite-Culpeper) Its therapeutic actions are carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic (Merck), expectorant, emenagogue (Grieve), stimulant, stomachic, tonic. An infusion from the root is used to relieve flatulence.
 3.The juice of Angelicais used in both Eurasia and America to relieve pain in a decayed tooth, and it is one of the many herbs considered a tonic to improve well-being and mental harmony. (Lewis and Elvin-Lewis)
 4.Other uses:The ripe fruit of A. archangelica is used in teas throughout the world. Its root is used to flavor cigarette tobacco. Angelica root is grown commercially; its derivatives (the essential oil, extracts, distillates) find extensive use in flavor formulations for alcoholic beverages such as vermouths, bitters, benedictine and chartreuse-type liqueurs. (Taskinen and Nykanen). This herb also has many medicinal uses. Angelica stimulates the circulation and for this use it is recommended to seek the advice of a trained herbalist. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The young leaves can be made into a tea for reducing tension, nervous headaches, indigestion, stomach gas and heartburn. The roots can also be used to make a soothing tea for bronchial conditions and colds. Simmer one ounce of the clean root in a pint of water for at least 30 minutes.
 The root stalks, leaves and fruit possess carminative, stimulant, diaphoretic, stomachic, tonic and expectorant properties, which are strongest in the fruit, though the whole plant has the same virtues.
 Angelica is a good remedy for colds, coughs, pleurisy, wind, colic, rheumatism and diseases of the urinary organs, though it should not be given to patients who have a tendency towards diabetes, as it causes an increase of sugar in the urine.
 It is generally used as a stimulating expectorant, combined with other expectorants the action of which is facilitated, and to a large extent diffused, through the whole of the pulmonary region. It is a useful agent for feverish conditions, acting as a diaphoretic
 
 Historical Uses:Menstrual symptoms (amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, PMS)* Uterine tonic (good for menstrual cramps) * Menopausal symptoms * Anemia * Low immunity * Tiredness, poor vitality * Debility * Convalescence in women * Poor peripheral blood flow (intermittent claudication) * Lowers blood pressure * Atherosclerosis, high cholesterol * Relieves pain and swelling * Liver tonic, protects liver against toxins, stimulates liver metabolism * Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, anti-spasmodic, immuno-stimulating
 Directions For Uses: 200 mg. standardized extract 3 times daily
 Bio-enhancing agents: Licorice root, black cohosh, red raspberry, peony, rehmannia, ginger root, wild yam.
 Toxicity,Cautions and Contra-Indications:No toxicity. Side effects are extremely rare. Rare cases of pyrogenia but requiring no need of treatment. People with gastrointestinal disease may experience diarrhea. Avoid in case of hemorrhagic disease, hypermenorrhea, first three months of pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, and during severe flu.
 

3.Chinese Angelica Root Modern Research:

 Chinese angelica root contains vitamin B12 and ferulic acid. Vitamin B12 can be used in the treatment of pernicious anaemia.
 It is commonly used in the treatment of a wide range of women's complaints where it regulates the menstrual cycle and relieves period pain and also to ensure a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery.
 This herb has a dual action on the uterus, i.e., volatile substance can inhibit uterus to decrease the rhythmic contraction and relax the smooth muscle in a rapid and long-standing way; and its water or alcohol soluble, non-volatile substance can excite uterus to strengthen its contraction.
 One of the chemical components of Chinese angelica root, ferulic acid, increases the motility and viability of sperm cells by protecting their membranes from the action of cell-harming free radicals. There is some evidence, however, that ferulic acid increases the risk of free-radical damage to sperm cells in men undergoing chemotherapy with bleomycin (Blenoxane), a cancer chemotherapy treatment sometimes chosen for its relatively minor effects on the immune system.
 The decoction or liquid extract of this herb can function in inhibiting isolated heart to lower cardiac excitability (quinidine-like action) and to prolong atrial refractory period; dialating the coronary artery and markedly increasing the coronary flow; lowering myocardial oxygen consumption, blood pressure, platelet aggregation and blood-fat; resisting thrombosis and preventing atherosclerosis; protecting the liver and preventing degradation of liver glycogen; resisting absence of vitamine E, malignant anemia and inflamation; and inducing diuresis, sedation and analegsia.
 This herb also has an azathiopurine-like (immunosuppressant) action, i.e., significant inhibition of the production of antibodies, cellular immunity and humoral immunity, serving for nephritis, neonatal hemolytic disease (an auto-immune disease). In addition, it can also raise the phagocytosis of macrophagocyte and reticuloendothetiol cells and strengthen nonspecific immunity.
 It has an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of various bacteria including Bacillus dysenteria, Bacillus typhi, B. comma, B. cholerae and haemolytic streptococci.
 Dong quai is used mainly in combination with other herbals to relieve menstrual cramps, regulate menstrual periods, and lessen menopausal symptoms. Although it has been used for centuries in China to treat such conditions and other disorders of the female reproductive tract, results of controlled human studies of dong quai effectiveness are not conclusive. In at least one small, clinical trial of postmenopausal women, dong quai was no more effective than placebo (sugar pills) for relieving hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and other symptoms of menopause. Like herbals such as black cohosh and red clover, dong quai was believed to contain chemicals shaped like the female hormone, estrogen. No evidence from chemical analyses or clinical studies supports an estrogen-like effect for dong quai, however.
 In traditional Chinese medicine, dong quai is often combined with other herbal products and used to treat allergies, arthritis, asthma, or high blood pressure. Animal studies of dong quai have shown it has a slight ability to increase immune system function, so it may help to relieve allergy symptoms. In addition, laboratory studies have shown that dong quai has mild anti-inflammatory properties, which may make it useful in treating arthritis, asthma, and other inflammatory conditions. One of the chemicals in a related plant has been shown to promote relaxation of blood vessels, which may help to reduce blood pressure. However, no clinical evidence supports the use of dong quai for blood pressure control. More research is necessary before dong quai can be recommended for any of its traditional uses.

4.High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of radix Angelica sciensis:

Yang F, Xiao YS, Zhang FF, Xue XY, Xu Q, Liang XM.Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.[PMID: 17262951]
 AIM: To analyze the chemical components in Danggui (the roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diel). METHODS: HPLC-MS/MS was used to identify the main components in Danggui. Furthermore, the MS fragmentation regularity of the phthalides was proposed. The mobile phase of HPLC consisted of 0.5% acetic acid in water and 0.5% acetic acid in acetonitrile, analytical column was Hypersil ODS2 (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm), flow rate 1.0 mL x min(-1), injected volume 2 microL. The ionization source was ESI in positive ion mode. RESULTS: Ferulic acid, nine known phthalides and one unknown phthalide derivative were tentatively identified in chromatograms based on their MS data and the comparison of their UV spectra with those published in the literatures. CONCLUSION: The structural information of phthalides was obtained via HPLC-MS/MS, which provides an accurate and fast method to identify the phthalides and provides more scientific information for quality control of Danggui.

5.GABAergic phthalide dimers from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels.:

Phytochem Anal. 2006 Nov;17(6):398-405.Deng S, Chen SN, Lu J, Wang ZJ, Nikolic D, van Breemen RB, Santarsiero BD, Mesecar A, Fong HH, Farnsworth NR, Pauli GF. UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research and Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, 833 South Wood Street, M/C 781, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.[PMID: 17144247]
 The methanol extract of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels roots (Dang Gui) has been shown to exhibit competitive binding to the GABAa receptor, suggesting the presence of GABAergic ligands. Chromatographic fractionation of the methanol extract led to the isolation of two GABAergic dimeric phthalides 1 and 2. Gelispirolide (1) was elucidated as a new phthalide dimer composed of a Z-ligustilide and a Z-butylidenephthalide unit on the basis of spectroscopic approaches including one- and two-dimensional NMR, HRESIMS and HRESIMS-MS. Compound 2 was identified as the known dimeric phthalide, riligustilide, by comparison of its spectroscopic data with literature values. Its dimeric linkage and stereochemistry were ascertained by a single crystal X-ray diffraction experiment. Both dimers 1 and 2 were found to be active in an in vitro GABAa receptor-binding assay with IC50 values of 29 and 24 microM, respectively.

6.Effect of the water extract and ethanol extract from traditional Chinese medicines Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. and Rheum palmatum L. on rat liver cytochrome P450 activity.:

Phytother Res. 2006 Dec;20(12):1046-51.Tang JC, Zhang JN, Wu YT, Li ZX. School of Chemical Biology and Pharmaceutical Science, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100069, PR China.[PMID: 17006975]
 Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (DG), Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (CX) and Rheum palmatum L. (DH), three well known traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), have been used widely for the treatment of various types of disorders in China. Herb-drug interactions, especially cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated interactions, cause an enhancement or attenuation in the efficacy of co-administered drugs. In this study, to assess the possible interactions between TCM and drugs, the effect of water and ethanol extracts of DG, CX and DH on cytochrome P450 were studied in rats. The activities of various CYP enzymes were determined by HPLC method. Treatment of rats with water extracts or ethanol extracts of DG, CX and DH at daily dosages equivalent to 3 g (dry herbal material)/kg all increased the microsome protein contents and decreased the total CYP levels. The water extract of DG strongly increased the activities of CYP2D6 and 3A and the water extract of DH significantly increased the activity of 2D6. The other water extracts all showed inhibition against CYP isoforms. Only the ethanol extract of DG and DH increased the CYP2D6 and 3A activities, respectively, and the other ethanol extracts all decreased the level of CYP isoforms. All extract treatments had significant effects on CYP isoforms activities, whether induction or inhibition, compared with the blank control. Thus, caution should be paid to possible drug interactions of DG, CX, DH and CYP substrates.

7.A Chinese herbal decoction, Danggui Buxue Tang, prepared from Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis stimulates the immune responses.:

Planta Med. 2006 Oct;72(13):1227-31. Epub 2006 Aug 10.Gao QT, Cheung JK, Li J, Chu GK, Duan R, Cheung AW, Zhao KJ, Dong TT, Tsim KW. Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay Road, Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.[PMID: 16902872]
 Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a Chinese medicinal decoction that is used commonly for treating women's ailments, contains Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis. The ratio of Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis used in DBT should be 5 : 1 as described in China in 1247 A.D. In order to verify the efficacy of this ancient formulation in stimulating the immune responses, DBT prepared from different drug ratios was applied onto cultured T-lymphocytes and macrophages. In cultured T-lymphocytes, DBT induced markedly cell proliferation, secretion of interleukin-2 and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. In addition, the phagocytosis of cultured macrophages was increased by DBT treatment. The immunomodulatory effects of DBT were revealed to be the strongest in the extract derived from the drug ratio of 5 : 1. The current results verified that the ancient formulation of DBT has been optimized in stimulating immune responses.

8.Immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharide isolated from Angelica sinensis.:

Int J Biol Macromol. 2006 Nov 15;39(4-5):179-84. Epub 2006 Mar 6.Yang T, Jia M, Meng J, Wu H, Mei Q.Department of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. thyang72@hotmail.com.[PMID: 16839602]
 The immunomodulatory activities of an Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (AP), purified from the fresh root of A. sinensis Diels, were investigated in vitro in relation to the specificity to immune cells. AP consisted of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, galactose with the molar ratio of 1.00:4.54:2.98:11.09:7.45. Cell proliferation results showed that proliferation of total spleen cells, macrophages and T cells were promoted by the action of AP. The treatment of AP increased the production of IL-2 and IFN-gamma, while that of IL-4 was decreased. RT-PCR analysis displayed that the IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene expression were enhanced but the IL-4 gene expression was decreased. Some differences in cytokines secretion pattern were also detected, the expression of IFN-gamma was rapidly augmented while that of IL-2 responded later. The flow cytometry results showed that the percentage of CD4(+)T cell in total spleen cells was remarkably increased by AP, while that of CD8(+)T cell was slightly decreased. In conclusion, AP has immunomodulatory activity by regulating expression of Th1 and Th2 related cytokines. The time-effect relation of cytokines response also suggests that macrophages and natural killer cells involved in nonspecific immunity were primary activated, and helper T cell were secondarily affected by AP.

9.Estrogenic activity of standardized extract of Angelica sinensis.:

Phytother Res. 2006 Aug;20(8):665-9.Circosta C, Pasquale RD, Palumbo DR, Samperi S, Occhiuto F.Pharmaco-Biological Department, School of Pharmacy, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.[PMID: 16691630]
 Since ancient times, extracts of plants have been used for women's health to prevent menopausal symptoms. The symptoms of menopause have been attributed to a reduction in the amount of estrogen produced by the ovaries.In this study the estrogenic activity of a commercial standardized extract of the roots of Angelica sinensis, used to relieve climacteric symptoms was evaluated using in vivo tests such as the degree of cornification of vaginal epithelium, uterotrophic assays and serum LH concentration in ovariectomized rats. Furthermore, the effects on the estrous cycle in rat were investigated.The results obtained have shown that the administration of a standardized ethanol extract in ovariectomized rats exhibited a stimulation of the uterine histoarchitecture, a significant cornification in the vaginal epithelium and a reduction of serum LH concentration showing the estrogenic nature of the extract. Furthermore, the administration of the extract in intact female rats provoked a significant modification of the vaginal smear in 67% of treated rats. The estrous cycle thus modified was characterized by a prolonged estrus stage with a temporary reduction of the regular cyclicity.

10.Dang-Gui Buxue Tang produces a more potent cardioprotective effect than its component herb extracts and enhances glutathione status in rat heart mitochondria and erythrocytes.:

Phytother Res. 2006 Jul;20(7):561-7.Mak DH, Chiu PY, Dong TT, Tsim KW, Ko KM. Department of Biochemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.[PMID: 16619337]
 The effects of pretreatment with Dang-Gui Buxue Tang (DBT, a decoction of Astragali and Angelica roots) and its component herb extracts on myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury were examined in rats ex vivo. DBT and its component herb extracts could protect against myocardial IR injury in a dose-dependent manner. The more potent cardioprotection afforded by DBT pretreatment than that of a mixture of Astragali and Angelica root extracts was associated with a much higher extraction yield of active ingredients from Angelica root in the herbal decoction. The high level of active ingredients might increase their bioavailability after oral administration. DBT pretreatment could enhance myocardial mitochondrial as well as red blood cell (RBC) glutathione status, thereby increasing their resistance to oxidative stress-induced injury in rats. The measurement of RBC glutathione status may serve as a useful index for the antioxidant effect produced by DBT treatment in human subjects.

11.Herbs or natural substances as complementary therapies for chronic kidney disease: ideas for future studies.:

J Lab Clin Med. 2006 Apr;147(4):160-6.Wojcikowski K, Johnson DW, Gobe G. School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[PMID: 16581343]
 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasingly common condition with limited treatment options that is placing a major financial and emotional burden on the community. The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMS) has increased many-fold over the past decade. Although several compelling studies show renal toxicities and an adverse outcome from use of some CAMS, there is also emerging evidence in the literature that some may be renoprotective. Many nephrologists are unaware of these potential therapeutic benefits in treating CKD, or they are reluctant to consider them in research trials for fear of adverse effects (including nephrotoxicity) or deleterious interaction with co-prescribed, conventional medicines. The increased use of self-prescribed CAMS by their patients suggests that practitioners and researchers should keep abreast of the current information on these agents. A primary goal of this article was to review the available scientific evidence for the use of herbs or natural substances as a complementary treatment for patients with CKD. A further goal was to report the literature on herbs that have been reported to cause kidney failure.

12.Polysaccharides from the root of Angelica sinensis protect bone marrow and gastrointestinal tissues against the cytotoxicity of cyclophosphamide in mice.:

Int J Med Sci. 2006;3(1):1-6. Epub 2006 Jan 1.Hui MK, Wu WK, Shin VY, So WH, Cho CH. Centre of Infection and Immunology and Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.[PMID: 16421623]
 Cyclophosphamide (CY) is a cytostatic agent that produces systemic toxicity especially on cells with high proliferative capacity, while polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis (AP) have been shown to increase the turnover of gastrointestinal mucosal and hemopoietic stem cells. It is not known whether AP has an effect on CY-induced cytotoxicity on bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we assessed the protective actions of AP on CY-induced leukopenia and proliferative arrest in the gastroduodenal mucosa in mice. Subcutaneous injection of CY (200 mg/kg) provoked dramatic decrease in white blood cell (WBC) count and number of blood vessels and proliferating cells in both the gastric and duodenal mucosae. Subcutaneous injection of AP significantly promoted the recovery from leukopenia and increased number of blood vessels and proliferating cells in both the gastric and duodenal tissues. Western blotting revealed that CY significantly down-regulated the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), c-Myc and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in gastric mucosae but had no effect on epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression. AP also reversed the dampening effect of CY on VEGF expression in the gastric mucosa. These data suggest that AP is a cytoprotective agent which can protect against the cytotoxicity of CY on hematopoietic and gastrointestinal tissues when the polysaccharide is co-administered with CY in cancer patients during treatment regimen.

13.Analysis of the monosaccharide components in Angelica polysaccharides by high performance liquid chromatography.:

Anal Sci. 2005 Oct;21(10):1177-80.Yang X, Zhao Y, Wang Q, Wang H, Mei Q. Department of Pharmacology, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, P R. China.[PMID: 16270574]
 An analytical method of on-line high performance liquid chromatography (HLPC) was developed to simultaneously separate and identify the monosaccharide composition of three Angelica polysaccharide fractions (APF), named APF1, APF2 and APF3. In this method, APF were hydrolyzed into component monosaccharides and subsequently labeled with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP), and then the labeled monosaccharide derivatives were separated by a reverse-phase C18 column and monitored by UV absorbance at 250 nm. The results showed that nine monosaccharide derivatives have been well separated by HPLC under optimized conditions and the composition analysis of monosaccharides from APF samples could be achieved using acid hydrolysis and a set of monosaccharide standards. With this method, the within-day and day to day precisions of the composition determinations were 3.41-4.87% and 3.12-4.93% (RSD), respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the component monosaccharides of Angelica polysaccharides.

14.Optimization of pressurized liquid extraction for Z-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide and ferulic acid in Angelica sinensis.:

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2006 Mar 18;40(5):1073-9. Epub 2005 Oct 20.Li P, Li SP, Lao SC, Fu CM, Kan KK, Wang YT. Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China.[PMID: 16242882]
 Pressurized liquid extraction, one of the most promising and recent sample preparation techniques, offers the advantages of reducing solvent consumption and allowing for automated sample handling. It is being exploited in diverse areas because of its distinct advantages. However, because the extraction is performed at elevated temperatures using PLE, thermal degradation could be a concern. Z-ligustilide, one of the biologically active components in Angelica sinensis, is an unstable compound, which decomposes rapidly at high temperature. In this study, we carried out a comparative study to evaluate PLE as a possible alternative to current extraction methods like Soxhlet and sonication for simultaneous extraction of Z-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide and ferulic acid in A. sinensis. The operating parameters for PLE including extraction solvent, particle size, pressure, temperature, static extraction time, flush volume and numbers of extraction were optimized by using univariate approach coupled with central composite design (CCD) in order to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. Determination of Z-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide and ferulic acid were carried out by means of high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector. The results showed that PLE was a simple, high efficient and automated method with lower solvent consumption compared to conventional extraction methods such as Soxhlet and sonication. PLE could be used for simultaneous extraction of Z-ligustilide, Z-butylidenephthalide and ferulic acid in A. sinensis.

15.Development of pressurized hot water extraction followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for determination of ligustilides in Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis.:

J Sep Sci. 2005 Jul;28(11):1237-43.Deng C, Ji J, Wang X, Zhang X. Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.[PMID: 16117002]
 In this work, a simple, rapid, solvent-free, and low-cost method was developed for the determination of ligustilides in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which was based on pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) followed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The two bioactive compounds Z-ligustilide and E-ligustilide in two common TCMs, viz. Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis, were extracted by water at 150 degrees C and 40 bar, followed by concentration with HS-SPME and detection by GC-MS. PHWE and HS-SPME parameters were investigated and method validation (precision and recovery) was studied. It has been shown that the proposed method provides a powerful approach for quantitative analysis of ligustilides in TCMs. The method was applied to determination of ligustildes in the TCMs from different growing areas. The results indicate that PHWE-HS-SPME-GC-MS is a potential tool for TCM quality assessment.

16.Inhibition of rat vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by extract of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis.:

J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Aug 22;100(1-2):140-4.Hou YZ, Zhao GR, Yuan YJ, Zhu GG, Hiltunen R. Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.[PMID: 15964163]
 Ligusticum chuanxiong (LC) and Angelica sinensis (AS) have been widely used as traditional Chinese medicine to treat some pathological settings such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. The aim of this paper is to determine the effects of the extract of LC and AS (ELCAS) on serum-induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, cell cycle and nitric oxide production. The results show that ELCAS significantly inhibited proliferation and protein synthesis of VSMC in a dose and time dependent manner. The cell population assessed by flow cytometry in the G(0)/G(1) phase increased 74% versus 79.8%, concomitant with a decrease in the S phase, 7.4% versus 4.2%, for control versus ELCAS (300 microg/ml). On the other hand, ELCAS significantly increased nitric oxide production of VSMC. The data suggest that ELCAS markedly inhibited VSMC proliferation by arresting G(1) to S progression, which may be associated with nitric oxide production.

17.Assay of free ferulic acid and total ferulic acid for quality assessment of Angelica sinensis.:

J Chromatogr A. 2005 Mar 18;1068(2):209-19.Lu GH, Chan K, Leung K, Chan CL, Zhao ZZ, Jiang ZH. Research and Development Division, School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University,Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.[PMID: 15830926]
 Activity of Chinese Danggui (DG), the processed root of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, is linked to the ferulic acid content but the stability of ferulic acid during extraction for medicinal use is not known. The stabilities of ferulic acid and coniferyl ferulate were evaluated in the extracts of DG using a variety of extraction solvents. These included various combinations and proportions of methanol, water, formic acid, 1 M aqueous hydrochloric acid and 2% sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3) in water. Coniferyl ferulate was found liable to hydrolyze into ferulic acid in neutral, strongly acidic and basic solvents, where heat and water could facilitate this hydrolysis. However, the hydrolysis was relatively resisted in weakly organic acid. Based on the stability evaluation, two new terms, namely: free ferulic acid and total ferulic acid, were suggested and defined. Free ferulic acid refers to the natural content of ferulic acid in herbs. Total ferulic acid means the sum of free ferulic acid plus the amount of related hydrolyzed components. Meanwhile, the high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed to assay free ferulic acid and total ferulic acid in DG using methanol-formic acid (95:5) and methanol-2% NaHCO3 in water (95:5) as extraction solvents, respectively. Ten DG samples were investigated on their contents of free and total ferulic acid. The results indicated that the amount variety of free ferulic acid was larger than that of their counterparts, and the ratio of total ferulic acid to free ferulic acid was 4.07 +/- 2.73 (mean +/- SD, n = 10). The chemical assay of DG using total ferulic acid content would be a better choice to assess the herbal quality and was recommended.

18.Antioxidant activities of some common ingredients of traditional chinese medicine, Angelica sinensis, Lycium barbarum and Poria cocos.:

Phytother Res. 2004 Dec;18(12):1008-12.Wu SJ, Ng LT, Lin CC. Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung,Taiwan.[PMID: 15742346]
 The antioxidant activities of three popular ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, namely Angelica sinensis (AS), Lycium barbarum (LB) and Poria cocos (PC) were evaluated in this study. The results showed that aqueous extracts of these crude drugs exhibited antioxidant activities in a concentration-dependent manner. All extracts displayed an inhibitory effect on FeCl2-ascorbic acid induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver homogenate in vitro, with the order of activity LB > AS > PC. The tested extracts showed a superoxide anion scavenging activity ranging from 28.8% to 82.2% and anti-superoxide activity varying from 38.0% to 84.5%. Among the different extracts, LB extract exhibited the lowest IC50 values (0.77-2.55 microg/mL) in all model systems tested in this study. The present study concludes that LB extract possessed the strongest inhibition on malondialdehyde formation in rat liver homogenate, and superoxide anion scavenging and anti-superoxide formation activities. These results also suggest that LB extract is a good source of antioxidant agent in the daily dietary supplement.

19.Quantification of ligustilides in the roots of Angelica sinensis and related umbelliferous medicinal plants by high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.:

J Chromatogr A. 2004 Aug 13;1046(1-2):101-7.Lu GH, Chan K, Chan CL, Leung K, Jiang ZH,Zhao ZZ. School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China.[PMID: 15387176]
 A reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for quantifying E-ligustilide (1) and Z-ligustilide (3) in the roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels with confirmation using UV, atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) MS and APCI-MS-MS techniques. Based on the UV spectra of compounds 1, E-butylidenephthalide (2), 3 and Z-butylidenephthalide (4), the absorption at 350 nm was chosen as measuring wavelength in which baseline separation of compounds 1 and 3 could be obtained but avoided the interference of compounds 2 and 4. The identity of compounds 1 and 3 in samples were unambiguously determined by the respective quasi-molecular ions ([M+H]+) in APCI-MS. According to the stability data, acetonitrile was chosen for the preparation of standard solutions in order to minimize the isomerization of compound 3. Compounds 1 and 3 were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in seven samples of the roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa, Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa var. sugiyamae Hikino and the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. Analysis of an extract from a sample root of Angelica gigas Nakai using LC-MS for the first time could not detect the presence of ligustilide in this herb. The overall analytical procedure is rapid and reproducible which is considered suitable for quantitative analysis of large number of samples.

20.Protective effect of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis on endothelial cell damage induced by hydrogen peroxide.:

Life Sci. 2004 Aug 20;75(14):1775-86.Hou YZ, Zhao GR, Yang J, Yuan YJ, Zhu GG, Hiltunen R. P.O. Box 6888, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, 300072, PR China.[PMID: 15268976]
 Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat some pathological settings such as atherosclerosis and hypertension. We determined the protective effect of the extract of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis (ELCAS) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304) damage induced by hydrogen peroxide. ECV304 cells were pre-treated with ELCAS and exposed to 5 mM hydrogen peroxide. The results show that ELCAS dose- and time-dependently protected ECV304 cells against hydrogen peroxide damage and suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The decrement of ROS may be associated with increased activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). Western blot analysis revealed that ELCAS significantly increased the phosphorylation of ERK and promoted eNOS expression. These observations indicate that ELCAS protected ECV304 cells against hydrogen peroxide damage by enhancing the antioxidative ability, activating ERK and eNOS signaling pathway. Our data also provide new evidence of Ligusticum chuanxiong and Angelica sinensis in preventing both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

21.Isolation and identification of the ligustilide compounds from the root of Angelica sinensis:

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2003 May;28(5):423-5.Lu XH, Liang H, Zhao YY.New Drug Research and Development Center, North China Pharmaceutical Corporation, Shijiazhuang 050015, Hebei,China.[PMID: 15139126]
 OBJECTIVE: To find out substance basis of pharmacological activities of Angelica sinensis. METHOD: Chromatographic methods were used to isolate the chemical components, and spectroscopic methods were used to identify their structures. RESULT: Five compounds were isolated from the ethanol extract of the roots of Angelica sinensis. Their structures were identified as: (Z)-ligustilide, (Z)-6,7-epoxyligustilide, (Z)-6,7-cis-dihydroxyligustilide, (E)-6,7-cis-dihydroxy-ligustilide and 11-angeloylsenkyunolide F. CONCLUSION: 11-angeloylsenkyunolide F was obtained from Angelica sinensis for the first time.

22.A systematic review of herbal medicinal products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms.:

Menopause. 2003 Sep-Oct;10(5):465-76.Huntley AL, Ernst E. Department of Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, England.alyson.huntley@pms.ac.uk[PMID: 14501609]
 OBJECTIVE: Many women have turned to complementary and alternative medicines for relief from their menopausal symptoms. The prevalence of herbal medicinal product use among menopausal women highlights the need for investigation into these interventions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of herbal medicinal products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms by performing a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. DESIGN: Literature searches of four computerized databases were done to identify randomized clinical trials of herbal medicinal products for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Manufacturers of herbal products were contacted, and our own files were also searched. There were no restrictions on the language of publication. Trials were considered if the outcome measures related to the physical or psychological impact of menopause, whether by compendium scores, questionnaires, or women's symptom diaries, excluding studies describing artificially induced menopause. This review was not concerned with biochemical or pathological data. RESULTS: Eighteen randomized clinical trials that fit our criteria were identified. These studies investigated black cohosh (n = 4), red clover (n = 4), kava (n = 3), dong quai (n = 1), evening primrose oil (n = 1), ginseng (n = 1), and combination products (n = 4). Trial quality was generally good, with 16 of 18 studies scoring 3 or more (maximum 5) on the Jadad Scale. CONCLUSIONS: There is no convincing evidence for any herbal medical product in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. However, the evidence for black cohosh is promising, albeit limited by the poor methodology of the trials. The studies involving red clover suggest it may be of benefit for more severe menopausal symptoms. There is some evidence for the use of kava, but safety concerns mean this herbal product is not a therapeutic option at present. The evidence is inconclusive for the other herbal medicinal products reviewed.

23.The intervention effects of Angelica sinensis, Salvia miltiorrhiza and ligustrazine on peritoneal macrophages during peritoneal dialysis:

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2002 Mar;22(3):190-2.Li JC, Yang ZR, Zhang K. Institute of Cytobiology and Tissue Engineering, Zhejiang University,Hangzhou 310031.[PMID: 12585104]
 OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Angelica sinensis, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Ligustrazine on function of peritoneal macrophages during peritoneal dialysis. METHODS: Peritoneal macrophages of mice were cultured in culture medium (control), peritoneal dialysate (PD), drugs contained PD containing Angelica, Salvia and Ligustrazine combined (PD-ASL) or separated (PD-A, PD-S, PD-L) with concentration of 2 micrograms/ml, 10 micrograms/ml and 100 micrograms/ml, separately for 24 hrs. The nitric oxide (NO) content, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) reducing capacity (MTT-RC) and phagocytosis capacity of macrophages were determined and compared. RESULTS: NO content and MTT-RC of macrophages cultured in PD group were significantly lower than those of the control (P < 0.01), as compared with those in drug contained PD groups, the NO content in the PD-L group and the MTT-RC in the PD-ASL group were higher significantly (P < 0.01). The phagocytosis capacity and NO content in the PD-ASL group were raised along with the increased concentration of drug in PD. CONCLUSION: Administering Chinese herbal medicine during peritoneal dialysis has important significance in improving the defense function of peritoneal macrophages, reducing the incidence of peritonitis and enhancing the therapeutic effect of peritoneal dialysis.

24.Effect of processing contents of saccharides in Danggui:

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2000 Aug;25(8):474-5.Jin FY, Tian YH, Yang WX.Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang 550002, Guijhou, China.[PMID: 12515208]
 OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of processing on the contents of saccharides in Danggui. METHOD: The contents of reducing saccharides, water-soluble saccharides and poly saccharides in Danggui and its processed products were determined by phenol-H2SO4 method. RESULTS: The contents of saccharides in the alcohol-broiled product were higher than those in the crude drug. CONCLUSION: Different processing methods have significant effects on the above saccharides, which administers to the interpreparation of the theory of Danggui processing.

25.Dang-Gui Buxue Tang protects against oxidant injury by enhancing cellular glutathione in H9c2 cells: role of glutathione synthesis and regeneration.:

Planta Med. 2007 Feb;73(2):134-41.Chiu PY, Leung HY, Siu AH, Poon MK, Dong TT, Tsim KW, Ko KM.Department of Biochemistry, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.[PMID: 17325989]
 In order to investigate the biochemical mechanism of Dang-Gui Buxue Tang (DBT) involved in its cardioprotective action, the effects of DBT and related preparations on the cellular level of reduced glutathione (GSH) and on susceptibility to menadione-induced toxicity were examined in H9c2 cardiomyocytes. Treatment with herbal extract prepared from the fresh root of Astragalus membranaceus (RAM) or Angelica sinensis (RAS) alone and their combinations (D1:1-D10:1) in varying ratios of RAM to RAS (1:1 to 10:1, respectively) increased cellular GSH in a concentration-dependent manner, with the effect produced by the D5:1 extract, an authentic formula of DBT, being the most potent. The enhancement of cellular GSH was found to correlate positively with the degree of cytoprotection against menadione toxicity. Both GSH-enhancing and cytoprotective effects of DBT were largely abolished by GSH depletion as a result of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO)/phorone treatment. The DBT-induced increase in the cellular GSH level and the associated cytoprotection were also suppressed by the treatment with BSO, an inhibitor of GSH synthesis, or 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, an inhibitor of GSH regeneration. The results indicate that DBT treatment protects against oxidant injury in H9c2 cells, and that the cytoprotective action is causally related to the increase in cellular GSH level, which is likely mediated by the enhancement of GSH synthesis and regeneration.

26.Optimized conditions for the extraction of secondary volatile metabolites in Angelica roots by accelerated solvent extraction:

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2007 Sep 3;44(5):1154-8. Epub 2007 Mar 18.PMID: 17446029
 Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of three common Angelica species found in Asia: Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from China, Angelica acutiloba (Sieb. et Zucc.) Kitagawa from Japan, and Angelica gigas Nakai from Korea was investigated. Preliminary experiments, including the selection of the solvent, extraction time, pressure, static cycle and time were investigated to optimize experimental parameters. Kov¨¢ts indices and mass spectra were used to identify the components in the various fractions. These were then confirmed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 18 compounds were identified, with qualitative differences and similarities observed among the cultivars. From the 18 compounds found in the ASE extract of danggui cultivars, the major components were decursin, decursinol angelate (A. gigas); butylidene dihydrophthalide, 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone (A. sinensis); and 9,12-octadecanoic acid in Angelica acutiloba. The optimum ASE operating conditions were n-hexane as extraction solvent, extraction temperature and pressure of 80 degrees C and 1500 atm, respectively, static cycle of 2 min, and static time of 10 min. Under these conditions, the percentages of main analytes were increased.

27.The angiogenic effects of Angelica sinensis extract on HUVEC in vitro and zebrafish in vivo.:

J Cell Biochem. 2008 Jan 1;103(1):195-211.Lam HW, Lin HC, Lao SC, Gao JL, Hong SJ, Leong CW, Yue PY, Kwan YW, Leung AY, Wang YT, Lee SM.Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Av. Padre Tom¨¢s Pereira S.J., Taipa, Macao, China.PMID: 17497682
 Angiogenesis plays an important role in a wide range of physiological processes such as wound healing and fetal development. Many diseases are associated with imbalances in regulation of angiogenesis, in which it is either excessive or there is insufficient blood vessel formation. Angelica sinensis (AS), commonly used in the prescriptions of Chinese medicine, is a potential candidate for curing such diseases. However, biological effects of AS on angiogenesis and underlying mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated. This investigation describes the angiogenic effects of AS extract on human endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro and zebrafish in vivo. The extract was demonstrated, by XTT assay and microscopic cell counting, to stimulate the proliferation of HUVEC; in addition, flow cytometry analysis indicated that the extract increased the percentage of HUVEC in the S phase. The wound healing migration assay illustrated that a dramatic increase in migration could be measured in AS extract-treated HUVEC. Meanwhile, the number of invaded cells and the mean tube length were significantly increased in AS extract treatment groups. The extract was also demonstrated to promote changes in subintestinal vessels (SIVs) in zebrafish, one feature of angiogenesis. In addition, AS extract was found by real-time PCR to enhance vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA expression. In a bead-based immunoassay, higher levels of p38 and JNK 1/2 expression were also observed in effusions compared with control cells. All results suggest that Angelica sinensis extract can promote angiogenesis, and that the angiogenic effects involve p38 and JNK 1/2 phosphorylation.

28.Anti-oxidative effect of Angelica polysaccharide sulphate:

Zhong Yao Cai. 2007 Feb;30(2):185-8.PMID: 17571770
 OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-oxidative effect of Angelica polysaccharide sulphate( APS). METHODS: The Hela cells were cultured conventionally. Then APS was added and cultured together in different concentration for 24h followed by a oxidative injury with H2O2 or UV irradiation. The anti-oxidative effects of APS were detected as follow: cell viability was measured by MTT assay; colorimetric analysis was used to determine SOD activity, GSH and MDA level in cytoplasm. RESULTS: Treatment of H2O2 or UV irradiation significantly decreased cell viability, GSH and SOD activity in cytoplasm,while increased MDA in cytoplasm. At the range of 0. 3 -100microg/ml, APS significantly increased cell viabilty, GSH and SOD activity,while decreased MDA in a dose dependent manner( P < 0. 05 or P <0.01). CONCLUSION :APS has anti-oxidative effect,which may be one of its anti-AIDS mechanisms.

29.Ligustilide reduces phenylephrine induced-aortic tension in vitro but has no effect on systolic pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats:

Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(3):487-96.PMID: 17597507
 Radix Angelica sinensis, known as Danggui in Chinese, has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time. Experimental evidence showed that the essential oil of Danggui could reduce blood pressure in rabbits, cats or hypertensive dogs when given intravenously. In this study, we investigated the effects of Z-ligustilide, the main lipophilic component of the essential oil of Danggui on aortic tension induced by phenylephrine, an alpha-adrenergic agonist, in vitro and the systolic blood pressure in SHR rats. We demonstrated for the first time that ligustilide can significantly reduce the phenylephrine-induced aortic tension in vitro with IC(50) about 64 mug/ml, but has no in vivo effect on systolic blood pressure in SHR rats when administrated orally. The data on transport of ligustilide across Caco-2 monolayer suggested an efficient intestinal absorption of ligustilide in vivo, implying that the non-effectiveness of ligustilide in vivo is not due to the poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Further studies on whether ligustilide is one of the main anti-hypertensive components of the essential oil are needed.

30.Protection of Angelica sinensis against radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice:

Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2007 Mar;41(2):105-9.Zhong YH, Han G, Zhou YF, Peng M, Xie CH, Zhou FX, Zhang WJ.Department of Radio-Chemotherapy, Zhongnan Hospital and Cancer Research Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.PMID: 17605235
 OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Angelica Sinensis as a protecting agent affecting the radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in an animal model, METHODS: The thoraces of C57BL/6 mice were exposed to either sham irradiation or single fraction of 12 Gy. Four groups were defined: that received neither irradiation nor Angelica Sinensis (N group), that received Angelica Sinensis but no irradiation (A group), that underwent irradiation without Angelica Sinensis (NX group) and that received both Angelica Sinensis and irradiation (AX group). Mice were sacrificed at 1, 24, 72 hours and 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 weeks post-irradiation. The lungs tissue were removed and processed for definitive analysis, including hydroxyproline content, HE and Masson staining, and the TGF-beta1, (Transforming Growth Factor beta1, TGF-beta1) mRNA expressions. RESULTS: Compared with N and A group, there was some differences in the AX group, but a significant histological and pathologic changes in NX group. Non-irradiated groups (N and A group) exhibited low levels of hydroxyproline (0.775 +/- 0.024) microg/mg and (0.751 +/- 0.034) microg/mg, and there was a significantly elevated level of hydroxyproline in NX group (0.875 +/- 0.009) microg/mg (P < 0.05). AX group (0.782 +/- 0.010) microg/mg was in between the non-irradiated groups (N and A group) and the radiation-only group (NX group), and the difference between AX group and NX group was significant (P < 0.01). The results of real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed that the relative mRNA expressions of cytokine TGF-beta1 in NX group(249.655 +/- 16.320) was significantly higher than that in group A (1.254 +/- 0.061) and N (1.324 +/- 0.057) (P < 0.01), and that in AX group (108.076 +/- 9.870) decreased than that of NX group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: An animal model of mice with radiation-induced lung injure was established successfully. This study has demonstrated that Angelica sinensis in Hibits the progress of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, Possibly by down-regulating the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine Tgfb1. These data suggest that Angelica sinensis maybe useful in preventing and/or treating radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in the clinic.

31.Antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity of Chinese medicinal herb extracts in raw sheep meat:

J Food Prot. 2007 Jun;70(6):1440-5.PMID: 17612075
 Antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of 10 Chinese medicinal herb extracts were evaluated by dipping raw sheep meat in extracts, packaging the samples in polyethylene, and refrigerating them at 4 degrees C. The optimum concentrations of Codonopsis pilosula, Platycodon grandiflorum, Artemisia capillaris, Cinnamomum cassia, Rheum palmatum, Ziziphus jujuba, Gardenia jasminoides, Santalum album, Angelica sinensis, and Bletilla striata were 0.10, 0.10, 0.25, 0.10, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.25%, respectively. Analysis revealed that test ingredients were more effective in reducing lipid oxidation and microbial counts in raw sheep meat. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative linear relationship between the inhibition of hydroxyl and lipid oxidation, and inhibition of hydroxyl was the main factor affecting lipid oxidation. A. capillaris (0.25%), C. pilosula (0.10%), and P. grandiflorum (0.10%) were identified as the most effective antioxidants. S. album (0.10%), A. capillaris (0.10%), and C. cassia (0.10%) were the most effective antimicrobials. A. capillaris (0.25%), C. pilosula (0.10%), and P. grandiflorum (0.10%) increased meat redness significantly (P < 0.05) when compared with the control samples on days 0, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, and 11. The pH values of sheep meat treated with C. pilosula (0.10%) and A. capillaris (0.10%) were lower than those of meat treated with other extracts.

32.Reduction of urate crystal-induced inflammation by root extracts from traditional oriental medicinal plants: elevation of prostaglandin D2 levels.

Arthritis Res Ther. 2007;9(4):R64.
 Dried roots of the plants Acanthopanax senticosus, Angelica sinensis and Scutellaria baicalensis are used in traditional oriental medicine and reportedly possess anti-inflammatory properties. Using the murine air pouch model of inflammation, we investigated the efficacy and mode of action of an extract from these three plants in crystal-induced inflammation. Air pouches were raised on the backs of 8-week-old BALB/c mice. Mice were fed 100 mg/kg body weight of root extracts (A. senticosus:A. sinensis:S. baicalensis mixed in a ratio of 5:4:1 by weight) or vehicle only on days 3-6. Inflammation was elicited on day 6 by injecting 2 mg of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals into the pouch. Neutrophil density and IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA levels were determined in the pouch membrane, and the leukocyte count and IL-6, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) levels were determined in the pouch exudate. Treatment with the root extracts led to a reduction in all inflammatory parameters: the leukocyte count in the pouch exudate decreased by 82%; the neutrophil density in the pouch membrane decreased by 68%; IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA levels in the pouch membrane decreased by 100%; the IL-6 concentration in the pouch fluid decreased by 50%; and the PGE2 concentration in the pouch fluid decreased by 69%. Remarkably, the concentration of the potentially anti-inflammatory PGD2 rose 5.2-fold in the pouch exudate (p < 0.005), which led to a normalization of the PGD2:PGE2 ratio. A 3.7-fold rise in hematopoietic PGD synthase (h-PGDS) mRNA paralleled this rise in PGD2 (p = 0.01). Thus, the root extracts diminished MSU crystal-induced inflammation by reducing neutrophil recruitment and expression of pro-inflammatory factors and increasing the level of the potentially anti-inflammatory PGD2. These results support a need for further studies of the efficacy of these extracts in the treatment of inflammatory arthropathies and suggest elevation of PGD2 levels as a novel mechanism for an anti-inflammatory agent.

33.Cytotoxic constituents from angelicae sinensis radix.:

Arch Pharm Res. 2007 May;30(5):565-9.PMID: 17615675
 Cytotoxic bioassay-guided fractionation of methanol extract of Angelicae Sinensis Radix led to the isolation of a new dimeric Z-ligustilide, named neodiligustilide (1), together with three known compounds, Z-ligustilide (2), 11(S),16(R)-dihydroxy-octadeca-9Z, 17-dien-12,14-diyn-1-yl acetate (3), and 3(R),8(S)-falcarindiol (4). Among them, 2 showed the strongest cytotoxicity against L1210 and K562 cell lines with IC50 values of 2.27 +/- 0.10 and 4.78 +/- 0.18 microM, respectively, while 1 showed moderate cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 5.45 +/- 0.19 and 9.87 +/- 0.14 microM. Two polyacetylenes, 3 and 4, showed cytotoxicity only against L1210 cell line with IC50 values of 2.60 +/- 0.90 and 2.87 +/- 0.49 microM, respectively.

34.A combination of Chinese herbs, Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Angelica sinensis, enhanced nitric oxide production in obstructed rat kidney:

Vascul Pharmacol. 2007 Aug-Sep;47(2-3):174-83. Epub 2007 Jun 16.PMID: 17627898
 BACKGROUND: The persistent renal hemodynamic maladjustment caused by imbalances between vasoactivators predisposes the kidney to tubulointerstitial injury and ultimate interstitial fibrosis. The decoction (A&A) of a combination of roots of two Chinese herbs, Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Angelica sinensis, has shown antifibrotic effects in rats with chronic kidney diseases and improvement of renal blood flow in rats with acute ischemic renal injury. In the present study, we investigated the effects and possible mechanisms of A&A on vasoactivators in the process of renal interstitial fibrosis. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and UAA (UUO plus A&A administration) groups. After oral administration of A&A (14 g/kg/d) for 3, 7 and 10 days, morphological changes were evaluated by HE, Masson and Sirius red staining technique. The levels of Ang-II, ET-1, and the activities of different nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) in renal homogenate were measured by radioimmunoassay. The nitrite concentration as nitric oxide (NO) production was measured using the Griess reagent. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining were performed to determine the expressions of eNOS, nNOS, and iNOS in the kidney. The ability of scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Morphological analysis showed severe interstitial mononuclear cells infiltration, tubular atrophy, renal fibrosis and collagen expression in kidneys of UUO group, which reduced by A&A administration (p<0.05, UAA vs. UUO group). The levels of Ang-II and ET-I were increased in obstructed kidneys, but not significantly changed after A&A administration. NO production did not change in obstructed kidney at day 3 but increased in day 7 and day 10. Administering A&A progressively increased NO production by 2.2, 1.2, and 1.2 fold at days 3, 7 and 10, respectively. The activities of constitutive NOS and iNOS were comparable between UUO group and sham group. In contrast, the activity of constitutive NOS was much higher in UAA than that of UUO rats, which increased 78%, 68% and 78% at days 3, 7 and 10 respectively, although the protein expression of eNOS, nNOS and iNOS in renal tissue had no change in UAA rats. The activities of scavenging ROS in UUO group were not significantly different from the sham group at days 3 and 7, but increased at day 10 (24.1+/-15.0 vs. 10.1+/-0.8 U/min/mg protein, p<0.05). After A&A administration, the activities of scavenging ROS were significantly increased at days 3 and 7 (51.5+/-17.9 vs. 11.7+/-7.4 U/min/mg protein, p<0.05; and 16.1+/-5.6 vs. 7.7+/-1.4 U/min/mg protein, p<0.05) respectively, comparing with the UUO group. CONCLUSION: The anti-fibrosis effects of A&A might be associated with enhancing NO production via eNOS activation and scavenging ROS, and in turn might improve ischemic microvasculature and attenuate interstitial fibrosis.

35.The effect of Angelica sinensis on adhesion, invasion, migration and metastasis of melanoma cells:

Zhong Yao Cai. 2007 Mar;30(3):302-5.PMID: 17634038
 OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Angelica sinensis on invasion, adhesion, migration and metastasis of B16-BL6 metastatic mouse melanoma cells and discuss its functional mechanism. METHODS: The proliferation, adhesion, invasion and migration capacity of B16-BL6 metastatic cells was evaluated by MTT assay, adhesion assay and reconstituted basement membrane invasion and migration assay in vitro respectively. Mouse spontaneous melanoma model was used to study the effect of Angelica sinensis on metastasis in vivo. RESULTS: The extract of Angelica sinensis inhibited the proliferation of B16-BL6 metastatic cells and its migration capacity significantly. It regulated bidirectionally the adhesion of B16-BL6 metastatic cells to the basement component laminin while it had no effect on the invasion capacity. In the mouse spotaneous melanoma model, the lung metastatic nodes number and its volume were significantly decreased after continuously treated with the extract of Angelica sinensis at the concentration of 3.67 mg/kg. CONCLUSION: The extract of Angelica sinensis can inhibit the metastasis of of B16-BL6 metastatic mouse melanoma cells and its mechanism is maybe that Angelica sinensis can inhibit the B16-BL6 cells adhering to the ECM and reduce the migration of B16-BL6 cells.

36.A new procedure for the preparative separation and isolation of Z-ligustilide from the roots of Angelica sinensis.:

J Sep Sci. 2007 Aug;30(12):1973-8.PMID: 17638355
 A new procedure for the separation and isolation of Z-ligustilide from the roots of Angelica sinensis (AS) was developed, and the storage conditions for Z-ligustilide were optimized. Using the present procedure, Z-ligustilide was enriched by decomposing the Z-ligustilide dimers yielding Z-ligustilide and dissolving the polar impurities in hot water. Then, the crude Z-ligustilide was further purified by a semipreparative HPLC system. The spiked and nonspiked samples were used for the evaluation of the proposed procedure. Recoveries obtained varied from 86.2 to 90.7% and RSDs from 4.0 to 6.6%. The yield and purity of the isolated Z-ligustilide were found to be 4.57 mg/g and 99.6%, respectively. The results of stability tests have shown that the presence of oxidant contributes to Z-ligustilide degradation, therefore argon was chosen as a shielding gas for storage. The overall procedure is efficient and convenient which is considered suitable for the preparative separation of Z-ligustilide from AS.

37.Protection against hydrogen peroxide-induced injury by Z-ligustilide in PC12 cells.:

Exp Brain Res. 2008 Jan;184(3):307-12. Epub 2007 Aug 24.PMID: 17717647
 Z-ligustilide (Z-LIG) is the primary lipophilic compound of the Chinese medicine Danggui (Radix Angelica sinensis). Previous studies demonstrated that Z-LIG had significant neuroprotective potential in both transient and permanent cerebral ischemia, possibly through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. The present study examined the mechanisms of Z-LIG on hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced injury in PC12 cells. Following exposure of the cells to H(2)O(2 )(500 microM), a significant reduction in cell survival and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), as well as increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), were observed. In addition, H(2)O(2 )treatment significantly upregulated Bax expression, cleaved-caspase 3, and cytosolic cytochrome-c, and decreased Bcl-2 protein levels. Pretreatment of the cells with Z-LIG (0.1, 1.0, 2.5, or 5.0 microg/ml) significantly attenuated H(2)O(2)-induced cell death, attenuated increased intracellular ROS levels, and decreased Bax expression, cleaved-caspase 3, and cytochrome-c. Further, Z-LIG improved cellular TAC and concentration-dependently upregulated Bcl-2 expression. These results demonstrate that Z-LIG has a pronounced protective effect against H(2)O(2)-induced cytotoxicity, at least partly through improving cellular antioxidant defense and inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. These findings suggest that Z-LIG may be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders in which oxidative stress and apoptosis are mainly implicated.

38.Postischemic administration of Z-Ligustilide ameliorates cognitive dysfunction and brain damage induced by permanent forebrain ischemia in rats:

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2008 Jan;88(3):213-21. Epub 2007 Aug 24.PMID: 17889286
 Previous studies have demonstrated that Z-Ligustilide (LIG), a characterized phthalide constituent present in numerous medical Umbelliferae plants, has significant neuroprotective effects in transient forebrain ischemia and permanent cerebral focal ischemia. The present study further investigated the effect of LIG on chronic cerebral hypoperfusion. Male Wistar rats were subjected to permanent ligation of both common carotid arteries (2VO). On Days 8-12 postsurgery, rat cognition was assessed in the Morris water maze. Rats with significantly impaired acquisition of spatial information were randomly allocated to three groups and orally administered LIG (10 or 40 mg/kg/day) or volume-matched vehicle on Days 13-40 post-2VO surgery. The sham-operated group served as controls. After long-term treatment with LIG, the impaired animals' behavioral, biochemical, and histopathological features were examined. Compared to the sham-operated group, significant cognitive impairment was observed in the vehicle-treated group 40 days after 2VO. Shortened mean escape latency was detected in the Morris water maze in rats treated with LIG (p<0.01 vs. vehicle-treated group) during the same trial days. Chronic 2VO-induced pathological changes included neuronal loss and an increase of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive astrocytes in the hippocampus. These effects were prevented with LIG treatment (p<0.01 vs. vehicle-treated group). LIG also significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels and increased superoxide dismutase activity in ischemic brain tissue (p<0.05 and p<0.01 vs. vehicle-treated group). In addition, LIG significantly increased choline acetyltransferase activity and inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity in ischemic brain tissues (p<0.05 and p<0.01 vs. vehicle-treated group). The present data demonstrate that LIG significantly prevented chronically hypoperfused cognitive deficits and brain damage at least partly through an antioxidant effect and improved cholinergic activity. The present findings suggest that LIG may have therapeutic potential in treating vascular dementia and cerebrovascular insufficiency.

39.Component and antioxidant properties of polysaccharide fractions isolated from Angelica sinensis (OLIV.) DIELS.:

Biol Pharm Bull. 2007 Oct;30(10):1884-90.PMID: 17917256
 An analytical method of high performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) was developed to simultaneously separate and identify the component monosaccharides of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide fractions (APFs), named APF1, APF2 and APF3. The predominant sugars in APFs were identified as arabinose, glucose, rhamnose, galactose and galacturonic acid as well as trace amount of mannose and glucuronic acid, and the fractionation altered significantly the distribution of component monosaccharides in APFs. APF3 was the most active fraction to effectively inhibit H(2)O(2)-caused decrease of cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, and also reduced H(2)O(2)-caused decline of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) depletion (p<0.05), followed by APF2 and APF1 in decreasing order. Furthermore, it was found that APFs (100 microg/ml) could protect macrophages by inhibiting the release of excess NO and reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by high concentrations of H(2)O(2) (0.8-1.6 mM).

40.Macrophage activation by an acidic polysaccharide isolated from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels:

J Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Sep 30;40(5):636-43.PMID: 17927894
 This study was designed to identify and characterize the mechanism of macrophage activation by AAP, an acidic polysaccharide fraction isolated from the roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. As a result, AAP significantly enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production and cellular lysosomal enzyme activity in murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, L-NAME, a specific inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), effectively suppressed AAP-induced NO generation in macrophages, indicating that AAP stimulated macrophages to produce NO through the induction of iNOS gene expression and the result was further confirmed by the experiment of the increase of AAPinduced iNOS transcription in a dose-dependent manner. To further investigate, AAP was shown to strongly augment toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA expression and the pretreatment of macrophages with anti-TLR4 antibody significantly blocked AAP-induced NO release and the increase of iNOS activity, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) secretion.

41.Angelica sinensis: a novel adjunct to prevent doxorubicin-induced chronic cardiotoxicity.:

Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2007 Dec;101(6):421-6. Epub 2007 Oct 25.PMID: 17971065
 Doxorubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic agent used in the treatment of a variety of solid and haematopoietic tumours, but its use is limited by formation of metabolites that induce acute and chronic cardiac toxicities. Angelica sinensis has been widely used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China. In the present study, we used an in vivo mouse model to explore whether A. sinensis could protect against doxorubicin-induced chronic cardiotoxicity. Male ICR mice were treated with distilled water or water extraction of A. sinensis (15 g/kg, orally) daily for 4 weeks, followed by saline or doxorubicin (15 mg/kg, intravenously) treatments weekly. Cardiotoxicity was assessed by electrocardiograph, antioxidant activity in cardiac tissues, serum levels of creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and histopathological change in cardiac tissues. A cumulative dose of doxorubicin (60 mg/kg) caused animal death and myocardial injury characterized by increased QT interval and decreased heart rate in electrocardiograph, decrease of heart antioxidant activity, increase of serum AST, as well as myocardial lesions. Pre-treatment with A. sinensis significantly reduced mortality and improved heart performance of the doxorubicin-treated mice as evidenced from normalization of antioxidative activity and serum AST, preventing loss of myofibrils as well as improving arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities. Furthermore, the in vitro cytotoxic study showed that A. sinensis did not compromise the antitumour activity of doxorubicin. These results suggested that A. sinensis elicited a typical cardioprotective effect on doxorubicin-related oxidative stress, and could be a novel adjunct in the combination with doxorubicin chemotherapy.

42.Protective effect of polysaccharide fractions from Radix A. sinensis against tert-butylhydroperoxide induced oxidative injury in murine peritoneal macrophages:

J Biochem Mol Biol. 2007 Nov 30;40(6):928-35.PMID: 18047788
 Three Angelica sinensis polysaccharide fractions (APFs), named APF1, APF2 and APF3, were isolated and purified from Radix A. sinensis and their antioxidant activities were evaluated in isolated mouse peritoneal macrophages by pretreatment with APFs before exposure to 0.2 mM tertbutylhydroperoxide (t-BHP). The results showed that pretreatment of the macrophages with APFs as low as 10 microg/ml could significantly enhance t-BHP-decreased cell survival, intracellular glutathione (GSH) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and also inhibited t-BHP-increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation (p < 0.05), and APF3 was the most active fraction, followed by APF2 and APF1 in decreasing order. Furthermore, we found for the first time that the bound-protein in APF3 was associated closely with the protective effects and the polysaccharide inhibited the excess NO release from t-BHP-activated macrophages to protect host cells.

43.Application of analytical and preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography for the separation of Z-ligustilide from a crude extract of Angelica sinensis:

Phytochem Anal. 2008 May;19(3):193-7.PMID: 18200604
 Z-Ligustilide was separated and purified from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Angelica sinensis by high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Analytical HSCCC was first used for the systematic selection of the two-phase solvent system. Preparative HSCCC separation was performed with a two-phase solvent system composed of petroleum ether (60-90 degrees C)-ethanol-water at an optimum volume ratio of 10:17:10 (v/v). A total of 38 mg Z-ligustilide at 98.8% purity was obtained in one step from 200 mg crude extract as determined by HPLC analysis. The structure of the target compound was identified by electron impact ionisation mass spectrometry.

44.Protective effects of Angelica sinensis extract on amyloid beta-peptide-induced neurotoxicity:

Phytomedicine. 2008 Sep;15(9):710-21. Epub 2008 Apr 29.PMID: 18448320
 The protective effects of alcohol extract from the root of Angelica sinensis (AS) on beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta)-induced toxicity and the mechanism of these effects were investigated. Abeta is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease; it decreased viability of Neuro 2A cells in a concentration-dependent manner with IC(50) of 14.9 microM. AS extract resulted in dose-dependent anti-Abeta toxicity according to MTT assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) analysis revealed a significant production of hydrogen peroxide, decreased glutathione (GSH) levels and increased lipid peroxidation (TBARS value) in the Abeta-treated Neuro 2A cells. The Abeta-treated cells also showed a significant decline in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsim) and increase in the mitochondrial volume, and portions of the cytoplasm were sequestered by a membrane-bound vacuole. The malfunctions of Neuro 2A cells caused by Abeta were attenuated using AS extract. The AS extract protected cell viability against Abeta-induced oxidative damage (ROS, TBARS, and GSH contents) and rescued the DeltaPsim levels in a dose-dependent manner: the dosages of 25, 50, 100, and 200 microg/ml recovered 77%, 87%, 102%, and 105% of DeltaPsim, respectively. AS extract also recovered the enlarged mitochondria mass with dosages from 25 to 200 microg/ml. The results of this study demonstrated that AS extract possessed the activity to prevent the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta-associated oxidative stress, implying that AS has a potential role in the prevention of Alzheimer's diseases.

45.A Chinese herbal decoction prepared from Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae Sinensis induces the expression of erythropoietin in cultured Hep3B cells:

Planta Med. 2008 Mar;74(4):392-5.PMID: 18484529
 Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a Chinese medicinal decoction used commonly for treating women's ailments, contains Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RAS). According to Chinese medicinal theory, this decoction is to nourish the blood function; this, however, has not been demonstrated on the molecular level. In order to reveal the hematopoietic effect of this decoction, DBT was applied to cultured Hep3B human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. The treatment of DBT induced mRNA expression of erythropoietin (EPO) in a dose-dependent manner and peaked at approximately 2.5-fold induction. The secreted EPO in cultured Hep3B cells was quantified by ELISA: the treatment of DBT potentiated the effect of hypoxia-induced EPO expression in the cultured cells. In addition, the DBT-induced EPO expression could be abolished by pre-treatment with U0126, a mitogen-activated kinase inhibitor. The current results verified the hematopoietic function of this ancient herbal decoction.

46.Herbal formula FBD extracts prevented brain injury and inflammation induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion:

J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Jun 19;118(1):140-7. Epub 2008 Apr 11.PMID: 18486376
 The aim of this work was to verify neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of FBD, a herbal formula composed of Poria cocos, Atractylodes macrocephala and Angelica sinensis, in ICR mice subjected to repetitive 10 min of common carotid arteries occlusion followed 24 h reperfusion. Intragastrical pretreatment with supercritical carbon dioxide extract (FBD-CO(2), 37.5 mg/kg) twice daily for 3.5 d, significantly reduced Evans Blue influx, neuron specific enolase (NSE) efflux, brain infarction (all p<0.05), also inhibited polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) infiltration (p<0.001), suppressed secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in blood (p<0.05), interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-8 in brain (both p<0.01), and down-regulated cerebral expression of phosphor-IkappaB-alpha and phosphor-nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB), whether coupled with aqueous extract (FBD-H(2)O, 150 mg/kg) or not. Moreover, FBD-CO(2) (0.1-10 microg/ml) inhibited 0.1 microM phorbol myristate acetate-evoked oxidative burst in rat PMNs, 20 ng/ml TNF-alpha-triggered PMNs adhesion to ECV304 endothelial cells, and PMNs neurotoxicity to PC12 neuron-like cells as well as NSE release (IC(50) 1.30, 0.98, 0.24 and 0.82 microg/ml, respectively). Our study demonstrated that FBD-CO(2) prevented brain ischemia/reperfusion injury, at least in part, by limiting PMNs infiltration and neurotoxicity mediated by TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-8, via inhibition on NF-kappaB activation.

47.Angiogenic effects of the extracts from Chinese herbs: Angelica and Chuanxiong:

Am J Chin Med. 2008;36(3):541-54.PMID: 18543387
 Angelica and ChuanXiong are used to cure ischemic heart disease in China. Previous studies found that these two herbs could increase myocardial blood flow, oxygen-supply and keep myocardial oxygen balance, etc. However, the mechanisms of angiogenic effects of these two herbs are not well-known. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of Angelica and ChuanXiong on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in rat myocardial infarction, on endothelial cell proliferation and quantity of vessels on chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). In this study, rats were divided randomly into either pre-treatment or acute-treatment group and sacrificed at the end of the treatments. VEGF expression using Western blot analysis was significantly increased in the groups pre-treated with ChuanXiong and Angelica when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There was significant increase in VEGF expression in the rats treated acutely with Angelica (p < 0.05). In the contrary, the rats treated with ChuanXiong showed a decrease in VEGF expression when compared to the acute-treatment control group (p < 0.05). Similar results were observed in immunohistochemistry of VEGF expression in the myocardia. Our study also demonstrated that these two herbs significantly enhanced endothelial cell proliferation (p < 0.05) and revascularity in CAM (p < 0.05). The data showed that Angelica and ChuanXiong could affect VEGF expression in rat myocardial infarction, promote endothelial cell proliferation and stimulate quantity of vessels on CAM model. The results suggest that Angelica and ChuanXiong have angiogenic effects, and may provide some mechanisms for the treatment of myocardial infarction and peripheral ischemia.

48.Anti-TB polyynes from the roots of Angelica sinensis:

Phytother Res. 2008 Jul;22(7):878-82.
 Following chemotaxonomic evidence, the PE and CHCl(3) extracts of the roots of the botanical Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Dang Gui) were investigated for in vitro anti-TB activity, in parallel to studying their serotonergic and GABAergic potential. The activities were confirmed to overlap chemically with the neurotropic active principles present in medium lipophilic fractions. Phytochemical investigations led to the isolation of five polyynes: falcarindiol (1), 9Z,17-octadecadiene-12,14-diyne-1,11,16-triol,1-acetate (2), oplopandiol (3), heptadeca-1-ene-9,10-epoxy-4,6-diyne-3,8-diol (4) and the new polyyne 8-hydroxy-1-methoxy-(Z)-9-heptadecene-4,6-diyn-3-one (5), as characterized by spectroscopic techniques including 1D, 2D NMR and HR-MS. All compounds were tested against two pathogenic strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv and Erdman) in vitro in a microplate Alamar Blue assay (MABA). The most potent anti-TB constituents were 1 and 2, exhibiting MIC values of 1.4-26.7 microg/mL; 3 showed moderate MICs (49.5 and 50.2 microg/mL, respectively) while 4 and 5 were weakly active (MIC > 60 microg/mL). Notably, none of the five compounds exhibited significant cytotoxicity against Vero cells. These findings not only reveal a new potential area of therapeutic value for A. sinensis, but also underline the role of polyynes as anti-TB active principles in ethnobotanical preparations, and as lead compounds.

49.The induction of orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 expression by n-butylenephthalide as pharmaceuticals on hepatocellular carcinoma cell therapy:

Mol Pharmacol. 2008 Oct;74(4):1046-58. Epub 2008 Jun 24.PMID: 18577687
 N-butylidenephthalide (BP), isolated from the chloroform extract of Angelica sinensis, has been examined for its antitumor effects on glioblastoma multiforme brain tumors; however, little is known about its antitumor effects on hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Two hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HepG2 and J5, were treated with either N-butylidenephthalide or a vehicle, and cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated. Apoptosis-related mRNA and proteins expressed, including orphan receptor family Nurr1, NOR-1, and Nur77, were evaluated as well as the effect of N-butylidenephthalide in an in vivo xenograft model. N-butylidenephthalide caused growth inhibition of both the cell lines at 25 microg/ml. Furthermore, N-butylidenephthalide-induced apoptosis seems to be related to Nur77 translocation from nucleus to cytosol, which leads to cytochrome c release and caspase-3-dependent apoptosis. N-butylidenephthalide-related tumor apoptosis was associated with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase-3beta rather than the mitogen-activated protein kinase or protein kinase C pathway. Blockade of AKT activation enhanced proliferation inhibition and the induction of phosphor-Bcl-2 and Nur77 proteins. Besides, the increasing apoptosis by BP via transfection wild-type cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) into tumor cell was suppressed by dominant phosphorylation site mutation of CREB. This finding suggested CREB pathway was also partly involved in tumor apoptosis caused by BP. Administration of N-butylidenephthalide showed similar antitumoral effects in both HepG2 and J5 xenograft tumors. N-Butylidenephthalide induced apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, both in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a potential clinical use of this compound for improving the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

50.Structural analysis and anti-tumor activity in vivo of polysaccharide APS-2a from Angelica sinensis:

Zhong Yao Cai. 2008 Feb;31(2):261-6.PMID: 18619275
 The polysaccharide APS-2a was isolated from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels through water extraction, deprotein, ethanol precipitation and DEAE-sephades A-25 column chromatography respectively,and was further purified by Sephacryl S-400 and Sephadex G-100 column chromatography. The phenol-sulfuric acid assay and Bradford method were used to determine the contents of carbohydrate and protein, respectively. The molecular weight was carried out with high-performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) combined with a differential refractometer detector. The monosaccharide compositions were determined by gas chromatography after complete hydrolysis with acid. The models of mice transplanted sarcoma S-180 were used to study the anti-tumor effects in vivo. Thymus indexes, spleen indexes were determined. The HPSEC result showed the APS-2a was a single homogeneous component and its weight average molecular weight was 7.4 x 10(5) Da. The monosaccharide composition of APS-2a was glucose, galactose, arabinose, rhamnose, galcturonic acid. Furthermore, APS-2a (20.50 mg/kg) could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells in mice transplanted S-180. The thymus indexes and spleen indexes in the groups treated with APS-2a were higher than control group.

51.Study of the anti-proliferative effects and synergy of phthalides from Angelica sinensis on colon cancer cells.:

J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Oct 30;120(1):36-43. Epub 2008 Jul 30.PMID: 18718517
 Angelica sinensis is a Chinese medicinal herb for treating gynecological and gastrointestinal disorders, and also in conjunction with cancer chemotherapy. AIM OF THE STUDY: In the present study, the cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects of three main Angelica sinensis phthalides, namely n-butylidenephthalide (BLP), senkyunolide A (SKA) and z-ligustilide (LGT), and their synergy on colon cancer HT-29 cells were investigated. Moreover, the results obtained in both human colon cancer HT-29 and normal colon CCD-18Co cells were compared for the investigation of selectivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MTT and [3H] thymidine incorporation assays were used for the evaluation of cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects, respectively. Interactions among phthalides were determined by median-effect analysis. RESULTS: All three phthalides dose-dependently decreased cell viability more potently in HT-29 than in CCD-18Co cells. The IC50 values for inhibition of cell proliferation for SKA, LGT and BLP were 54.17+/-5.10, 60.63+/-6.79 and 236.90+/-18.22microM, respectively, in HT-29 cells. Angelica sinensis extract demonstrated significant synergy in inhibiting cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: The three phthalides might have anti-cancer potential, yet the phthalides, in combination with other ingredients in Angelica sinensis extract, display significant synergy leading to a stronger anti-tumor effect.

52.Protective effect of polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis on ulcerative colitis in rats.:

Inflammopharmacology. 2008 Aug;16(4):162-7.PMID: 18759074
 Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves the dysregulation of intestinal mucosal immunity and imbalance between the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the endogenous anti-oxidants. While the protective effects of Angelica sinensis (AS) polysaccharides on neutrophil-dependent gastric mucosal damage have been reported, similar protective effects on UC are still uncertain. Hence our study aimed to investigate the effects of AS polysaccharides on rats with acute UC induced by 2,4-dinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (DNBS) evaluated after 24 h. Intrarectal injection of DNBS significantly reduced the glutathione (GSH) content, increased malondialdehyde concentration and raised the amount of apoptotic cells in colon tissues, which were related to oxidative stress and attenuated by AS polysaccharides pretreatment (5 mg/ml and 10 mg/ml). These findings suggest that oxidative stress and GSH depletion are highly associated with the pathological mechanism of UC, and the protective effects of AS polysaccharides are closely related to the prevention of oxidative stress, which may occur during neutrophil infiltration in the pathological process of UC.

53.Angelica sinensis and its alkylphthalides induce the detoxification enzyme NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 by alkylating Keap1:

Chem Res Toxicol. 2008 Oct;21(10):1939-48. Epub 2008 Sep 23.
 The roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Dang Gui; Apiaceae) have a long history in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for women's disorders and are often called "lady's ginseng". Currently, extracts of A. sinensis are commonly included in numerous dietary supplements used for women's health and as antiaging products. In the present study, we examined the potential chemopreventive activity of A. sinensis extracts by measuring the relative ability to induce the detoxification enzyme, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). The lipophilic partitions showed strong NQO1 induction with concentrations to double the enzyme activity (CD) of 5.5 +/- 0.7 (petroleum ether) and 3.9 +/- 0.5 microg/mL (chloroform). Fractionation led to the isolation of phenolic esters and alkylphthalides, especially Z-ligustilide, the main lipophilic compound, which showed strong NQO1 inducing properties (CD = 6.9 +/- 1.9 microM). Transcription of many detoxifying enzymes is regulated through the antioxidant response element (ARE) and its transcription factor Nrf2, which is repressed under basal conditions by Keap1. However, exposure to electrophilic inducers that alkylate Keap1 results in higher concentrations of free Nrf2 and ARE activation. The ARE reporter activity was therefore analyzed in HepG2-ARE-C8 cells after incubation with lipophilic extracts of A. sinensis or ligustilide for 24 h. Under these conditions, both the extract and the ligustilide increased ARE-luciferase reporter activity in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of ligustilide with GSH and subsequent LC-MS-MS analysis revealed that ligustilide as well as oxidized ligustilide species covalently modified GSH. In addition, using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and LC-MS-MS, it was demonstrated that the lipophilic extracts, ligustilide, and monooxygenated ligustilide alkylated important cysteine residues in human Keap1 protein, thus activating Nrf2 and transcription of ARE regulated genes. These observations suggest that A. sinensis dietary supplements standardized to ligustilide have potential as chemopreventive agents through induction of detoxification enzymes.

54.An in vitro investigation of herbs traditionally used for kidney and urinary system disorders: potential therapeutic and toxic effects:

Nephrology (Carlton). 2009 Feb;14(1):70-9. Epub 2008 Sep 22.PMID: 18808387
 AIM: Renal fibrosis is central to progression of most chronic renal pathologies. Antioxidants that protect the tubular epithelium and anti-fibrotics that induce apoptosis of pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts without adversely affecting tubular epithelium may slow progression of renal fibrosis, while toxic substances may exacerbate renal scarring. We investigated 47 herbs for their in vitro toxic or antioxidant effects on normal renal mammalian fibroblasts (NRK49F) and tubular epithelial cells (NRK52E) to determine their potential value as therapeutic agents in renal fibrosis involving oxidative stress. METHODS: Herbs were chosen because of their traditional use in kidney or urinary system disorders, or because of recent published interest in their therapeutic or toxic potential in kidney disease. Extracts of herbs were made using a sequential multi-solvent extraction process. Each extract was analysed separately. Extraction solvents were ethyl acetate, methanol and 50% aqueous methanol. Cells were treated with extracts with/without oxidative stress (1.0 mM hydrogen peroxide). Cellular changes (apoptosis, necrosis, mitosis, transdifferentiation) were identified and quantified using defined criteria. RESULTS: All extracts of Dioscorea villosa showed significant toxicity to both cell lines. At low concentrations (5-50 microg/mL) they induced epithelial to mesenchymal transdifferentiation, as demonstrated by increased immunohistochemistry staining for alpha-smooth muscle actin and transforming growth factor-beta1 in treated versus control cells. Angelica sinensis, Centella asiatica, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Scutellaria lateriflora, and Olea europaea demonstrated strong antioxidant effects in epithelial cells and/or apoptotic effects on fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: This investigation has revealed renotoxicity of D. villosa and anti-fibrotic, oxidant potential of several herbal extracts, all of which require further study.

55.An Antioxidant Phytotherapy to Rescue Neuronal Oxidative Stress:

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2008 Aug 7.PMID: 18955358
 Oxidative stress is involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic neuronal injury. A Chinese herbal formula composed of Poria cocos (Chinese name: Fu Ling), Atractylodes macrocephala (Chinese name: Bai Zhu) and Angelica sinensis (Chinese names: Danggui, Dong quai, Donggui; Korean name: Danggwi) (FBD), has been proved to be beneficial in the treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R).This study was carried out to evaluate the protective effect of FBD against neuronal oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro. Rat I/R were established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 1 h, followed by 24 h reperfusion. MCAO led to significant depletion in superoxide dismutase and glutathione and rise in lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide in brain. The neurological deficit and brain infarction were also significantly elevated by MCAO as compared with sham-operated group. All the brain oxidative stress and damage were significantly attenuated by 7 days pretreatment with the aqueous extract of FBD (250 mg kg(-1), p.o.). Moreover, cerebrospinal fluid sampled from FBD-pretreated rats protected PC12 cells against oxidative insult induced by 0.2 mM hydrogen peroxide, in a concentration and time-dependent manner (IC(50) 10.6%, ET(50) 1.2 h). However, aqueous extract of FBD just slightly scavenged superoxide anion radical generated in xanthine-xanthine oxidase system (IC(50) 2.4 mg ml(-1)) and hydroxyl radical generated in Fenton reaction system (IC(50) 3.6 mg ml(-1)). In conclusion, FBD was a distinct antioxidant phytotherapy to rescue neuronal oxidative stress, through blocking LPO, restoring endogenous antioxidant system, but not scavenging free radicals.

56.The anticoagulant ability of ferulic acid and its applications for improving the blood compatibility of silk fibroin.:

Biomed Mater. 2008 Dec;3(4):44106. Epub 2008 Nov 25.PMID: 19029605
 The hemocompatibility of silk fibroin (SF) was improved with ferulic acid (FA) by graft polymerization. Ferulic acid is an active ingredient of many Chinese herbal medicines, such as Chuanxiong (Rhizoma ligustici wallichii), Danggui (Angelica sinensis) and Awei (Asafoetida giantfennel), which have been used to treat cardiovascular diseases by Chinese physicians for thousands of years. The inhibitory functions of FA on blood coagulation and erythrocyte agglutination were first characterized by a Lee-White test tube method and a micropipette technique, respectively. Then, FA was immobilized on SF by graft polymerization and the surface composition of modified SF was characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and optical microscopy. The anticoagulant activity of modified SF was assessed, respectively, by in vitro clotting time measurements on a photo-optical clot detection instrument and with the Lee-White test tube method. The test results indicated that in comparison to untreated SF, the anticoagulant activity of modified SF has been improved significantly. Moreover, the SF surface composition is altered by FA but its beta-sheet conformation is not disturbed.

57.Ferulic acid reduces cerebral infarct through its antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects following transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats:

Am J Chin Med. 2008;36(6):1105-19.PMID: 19051339
 Both Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (AS) and Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (LC) have been used to treat stroke in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Ferulic acid (FA), a component in both AS and LC, plays a role in neuroprotection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of FA on cerebral infarct and the involvement of neuroprotective pathway. Rats underwent 2 hours and 24 hours of reperfusion after 90 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). The cerebral infarct and neurological deficits were measured after 24 hours of reperfusion. Furthermore, the expression of superoxide radicals, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), myeloperoxidase (MPO), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) immunoreactive cells were assessed after 2 hours and 24 hours of reperfusion. Administration of 80 and 100 mg/kg of FA at the beginning of MCAo significantly reduced cerebral infarct and neurological deficit-score, similar results were obtained by 100 mg/kg of FA administered 30 min after MCAo. FA treatment (100 mg/kg i.v.) effectively suppressed superoxide radicals in the parenchyma lesion, and ICAM-1 immunoreactive vessels in the ischemic striatum after 2 hours of reperfusion. FA (100 mg/kg i.v.) reduced the expression of ICAM-1 and NF-kappaB in the ischemic cortex and striatum, also down-regulated MPO immunoreactive cells in the ischemic cortex after 24 hours of reperfusion. These results showed that the effect of FA on reducing cerebral infarct area and neurological deficit-score were at least partially attributed to the inhibition of superoxide radicals, ICAM-1 and NF-kappaB expression in transient MCAo rats.

58.Therapeutic application and prospect of Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis in treating renal microvascular lesions:

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2008 Sep;28(9):859-61.PMID: 19065906
 It has been known that the renal microvasular lesions could aggravate the progress of glomerular sclerosis and tubulo-interstitial fibrosis in chronic kidney diseases. Modern pharmacological studies indicated that the two traditional Chinese herbs, Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis, could improve micorvascular lesions through multiple mechanisms, including increasing local renal blood flow to lessen the hypoxic renal injury, promoting the recovery of renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate after ischemia-reperfusion, modulating the imbalance of vaso-activators such as nitric oxide and angiotensin, increasing the expression of vascular epithelial growth factor and inhibiting the release of the intracellular calcium ion and promoting DNA synthesis in endothelial cells to improve the function of endothelial cells. These evidences suggest that Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis may retard the progress of renal diseases through the above-mentioned mechanisms.

59.Caging a Beast in the Inflammation Arena: Use of Chinese Medicinal Herbs to Inhibit a Late Mediator of Lethal Sepsis, HMGB1.:

Int J Clin Exp Med. 2008;1(1):64-75. Epub 2008 Jan 20.
 Sepsis refers to a systemic inflammatory response syndrome resulting from a microbial infection, which kills > 225,000 people annually in the U.S. alone. The high mortality of sepsis is partly mediated by bacterial endotoxin, which stimulates macrophages/monocytes to sequentially release early (e.g., TNF) and late (e.g., HMGB1) pro-inflammatory cytokines. Although early proinflammatory cytokines may be protective against infection, excessive accumulation of late-acting proinflammatory mediators (such as HMGB1) may sustain a potentially injurious inflammatory response. Agents capable of inhibiting HMGB1 activities (e.g., neutralizing antibodies) or release [e.g., Chinese herbs, Danggui (Angelica sinensis), Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and Green tea (Camellia sinensis)] rescue mice from lethal sepsis even when given 24 hours after onset of the disease. Here we review emerging evidence that support a critical role for extracellular HMGB1 as a late mediator of lethal sepsis, and several commonly used Chinese herbs (Danggui, Danshen and Green tea) as potential HMGB1- targeting therapeutic agents in experimental sepsis.

60.The production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in peritoneal macrophages is inhibited by Andrographis paniculata, Angelica sinensis and Morus alba ethyl acetate fractions:

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Feb 25;122(1):68-75. Epub 2008 Dec 7.PMID: 19111919
 AIM OF THE STUDY: Traditional Chinese medicine herbs (TCMHs) are used in medicines as well as in daily dietary supplements in Asia. In this study, we employed pNF-kappaB-Luc or pIFN-gamma-Luc and BALB/c mice peritoneal macrophages or splenocytes to investigate both the immune and inflammatory effects of six selected plant species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specifically, we used ethyl acetate fractions of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge var. mongholicus (Bunge) Hsiao (Fabaceae) (AM), Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees (Acanthaceae) (AP), Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels (Apiaceae) (AS), Eucommia ulmodes Oliv. (Eucommiaceae) leaves (EU leaves), Isatis indigotica Fort. (Brassicaceae) (II) and Morus alba L. (Moraceae) (MA). RESULTS: We found that ethyl acetate fractions of AP, AS and MA significantly decreased NF-kappaB luciferase activity and also the secretion of NO and PGE(2) in LPS/IFN-gamma stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages (p<0.05). In contrast, they did not affect IFN-gamma luciferase activity or IFN-gamma production in concanavalin A (Con A)-activated mouse splenocytes. Our results indicated that the anti-inflammatory properties of these plant extracts might be resulted from the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators (e.g., NO and PGE(2)), at least in part via suppression of a signaling pathway such as NF-kappaB. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, we have found that three potent bioactive TCMH species exerted significant NF-kappaB inhibitory activity and acted in a cell type dependent fashion.

61.Prophylactic immunization of dangguibuxue decoction against Cryptosporidium infection in immune suppressed mice:

Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi. 2008 Jun 30;26(3):179-82.PMID: 19160962
 OBJECTIVE: To explore the prophylaxis of dangguibuxue decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine made from Angelica sinensis and Radix astragalus, on immunosuppressed mice infected by Cryptosporidium parvum. METHODS: 48 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control (A), immunosuppressed control (B), high dose (C), and low dose (D). Mice in groups B, C and D were intragastrically administered with dexamethasone (DXM) for 8 days, and in the same time mice in groups C and D were given high dose (2 g/kg) and low dose (1 g/kg) dangguibuxue decoction respectively. On the ninth day all mice in groups B, C and D were orally inoculated by 1 x 10(6) oocysts of C. parvum. The amount of oocysts in feces was examined daily since being infected. 11 days after infection, the subset of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood was analyzed with flow cytometry, sIL-2R in serum and sIgA of intestinal fluid were detected by ELISA. Pathological change of duodenum and jejunum was observed microscopically. RESULTS: Compared with the immuno-suppressed control group, there were less oocysts in feces (35.0 +/- 4.21) (P < 0.01) and lighter injury in the intestinal mucosa in mice of the high dose dangguibuxue decoction group. Both the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes (47.483 +/- 4.082) and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ (2.271 +/- 0.378) increased, sIgA [(320.19 +/- 1.94) ng/ml] in the intestinal fluid elevated and sIL-2R [(321.34 +/- 6.66) ng/ml] in peripheral blood decreased in the high dose group, with a significant difference in comparison to the immunosuppressed group (P < 0.01). All the above-mentioned indices in low dose dangguibuxue decoction group showed no significant difference with the immunosuppressed control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Administration of high dose dangguibuxue decoction plays a role of prophylaxis on the infection of C. parvum in immunosuppressed mice through improving the immune status.

62.Study on biligustilides from Angelica sinensis:

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2008 Oct;33(19):2196-201.PMID: 19166005
 OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Angelica sinensis. METHOD: The constituents were separated by chromatographic methods, and their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. RESULT: Eight compounds were isolated and identified as levistolide A (1), senkyunolide O (2), (3Z, 3Z')-6.8', 7.3'-diligustilide (3), tokinolide B (4), isotokinolide B (5), (3'Z)-(3R, 8S, 3a'R, 6'S)-3, 3a': 8, 6'-biligustilide (6), E, E'-3. 3', 8. 8'-diligustilide (7) and E, E'-3. 3', 8. 8'-isodiligustilide (8), which are all diligustilides. CONCLUSION: Compound 7 was obtained from the plant for the first time; compounds 6 and 8 are new compounds.

63.Can Rhizoma Chuanxiong replace Radix Angelica sinensis in the traditional Chinese herbal decoction Danggui Buxue Tang?.:

Planta Med. 2009 May;75(6):602-6. Epub 2009 Feb 9.
 Herein, we test the hypothesis that a member of a formulated Chinese herbal decoction cannot be replaced by another herb. Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is being used as an example for illustration: this is a traditional decoction containing Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RAS) in a weight ratio of 5 to 1. Rhizoma Chuanxiong (RC) and RAS are two chemically very similar herbs but with a distinct function. Following the preparation method of DBT, a herbal decoction, namely Chuanxiong Buxue Tang (CBT), was created, which contained RA and RC in a weight ratio of 5 to 1. The two decoctions, DBT and CBT, were compared in parallel regarding their chemical and biological properties. In all the tested parameters, DBT showed superior properties, both chemically and biologically, to that of CBT. The current results reveal the uniqueness of Chinese herbal decoctions that require a well-defined formulation, which is indispensable for its specific composition.

64.An herbal decoction of Radix astragali and Radix angelicae sinensis promotes hematopoiesis and thrombopoiesis:

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 6;124(1):87-97. Epub 2009 Apr 11.PMID: 19443149
 ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: A decoction containing Radix angelicae sinensis and Radix astragali (Danggui Buxue Tang, DBT) has been used to raise the "Qi" and nourish the "Blood". However, its effects on haematopoiesis and particularly thrombopoiesis have not been studied. AIMS: This study aims to examine the effects of DBT on hematopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A myelosuppression mouse model was treated with DBT (10mg/kg/day). Peripheral blood cells from DBT and thrombopoietin-treated samples were counted on days 0, 7, 14 and 21. Then CFU assays were used to determine the effects of DBT on the megakaryocytic progenitor cells and other lineages. Last, analyses of annexin V, caspase-3, and mitochondrial membrane potential were conducted in megakaryocytic cell line M-07e. RESULTS: Morphological examination showed that DBT treatment significantly increased the recovery of the megakaryocytic series. DBT significantly enhanced the platelet recovery and CFU-MK formation in vivo. DBT significantly promoted CFU-MK and CFU-F formation. Last, we observed the antiapoptotic effects of DBT on M-07e cells. CONCLUSION: DBT might promote haematopoiesis and thrombopoiesis in the mouse model through (i) directly promoting the growth of megakaryocytes; (ii) indirectly promoting the growth of bone marrow stromal cells; (iii) inhibiting apoptosis of megakaryocytes.

65.Synergistic antioxidant activities of eight traditional Chinese herb pairs.:

Biol Pharm Bull. 2009 Jun;32(6):1021-6.PMID: 19483308
 Many Chinese therapeutic herbs that are traditionally used in combination demonstrate significantly better pharmacological effects when used in the combination than when used alone. However, the pharmacological mechanism for this synergism is still not well understood. In the present study, the antioxidant activities of six herbs ((Paeonia lactiflora (PL), Atractylodes macrocephala (AMA), Angelica sinensis (AS), Astragalus membranaceus (AME), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (GU) and Rheum officinale (RO)), which were historically combined into eight traditional Chinese herb pairs (TCHPs) (AME-AS, AME-AMA, AME-RO, AME-GU, AME-PL, PL-AS, PL-AMA and PL-GU), were investigated in vitro by assessing the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazine (DPPH)-radical scavenging abilities of the herbs. The results of this study showed that all eight TCHPs had a significantly larger scavenging capacity than would be expected from the theoretical sum of those of the respective constituent herbs (p<0.05). Furthermore, the AME-GU, AME-PL and AME-AMA pairs not only showed a significant synergistic effect in the DPPH scavenging assay, but they also demonstrated similar results in hydroxyl radical and superoxide radical anion scavenging assays. Interestingly, the AME-AMA combination had a significantly higher superoxide anion (0.2 g/ml) and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability than the AME or AMA. The changes in the total phenolic and flavonoid contents were also investigated. Our study showed a significant correlation between the rate of enhancement in antioxidant capacity and the rate of increase in flavonoid content. Thus, the flavonoids are likely responsible for the synergistic effects present in TCHPs.

66.A combination of Chinese herbs, Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus and Angelica sinensis, improved renal microvascular insufficiency in 5/6 nephrectomized rats.:

Vascul Pharmacol. 2009 May-Jun;50(5-6):185-93.PMID: 19563735
 Chronic renal ischemia and hypoxia in the tubulointerstitium are involved in the mechanisms of progressive chronic kidney disease. Previous studies showed that the decoction of a combination of two Chinese herbs, Astragalus membmnaceus var. mongholicus and Angelica sinensis (A & A) has antifibrotic effects through multiple pathways in different animal models. In this study, remnant kidney model was employed to investigate whether A & A affect the expression of VEGF, the density of the renal microvasculature and thus alleviate the renal injury. Rats were divided randomly into four groups: sham group (N-31), 5/6 Nx group (5/ 6 nephrectomy, N=43), A & A treated group (A & A group, N=40, A & A 12 g/kg/d po), enalapril treated group (Ena group, N=56, enalapril 4 mg/kg/d po). Rats from each group were sacrificed at the 2th, 4th, 8th and 12th weeks respectively after surgery and treatment The 24 h urinary protein excretion, serum creatinine (Scr) and urea were measured. The collagen IV (COL-IV), fibronectin (FN), aminopeptidase P (APP) and VEGF were stained using immunohistochemistry. The COL-IV, FN and APP were semi-quantitatively analyzed. Peritubular capillary density in the cortical interstitial area was quantified. The level of VEGF was assayed by ELISA. The results revealed that Scr, urea and urinary protein excretion remained constant at each time point in sham group. Compared to sham group, 5/6 Nx group was shown severe glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial lesions and vascular damage, as well as higher level of Scr from the 2nd week (72.3 +/- 5.2 vs. 48.6 +/- 2.6 micromol/L P < 0.05) to the 12th week (71.9 +/- 8.0 vs. 55.7 +/- 4.5 micromol/L P < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference in Scr level after treatment of enalapril or A & A (P > 0.05), kidney damage was alleviated at the 8th and the 12th week in the two treatment groups (P < 0.05, vs. 5/6 Nx group). The urinary protein excretion of 5/6 Nx group was significantly increased from the 4th week, it was 1.5, 2.4 and 3.8 fold of that of sham group at the 4th, 8th and 12th week, respectively. Compared to 5/6 Nx group, proteinuria was decreased by enalapril to 59%, 33% at 8th and 12th week. After A & A administration, urinary protein excretion decreased to 66%, 56%, 75%, 55% of 5/6 Nx group at the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 12th, respectively (P < 0.05). Compared with sham group, there was increased expression of FN and COL-IV in rats with 5/6 Nx. After A & A or enalapril administration, the expression of FN and COL-IV was significantly decreased compared with that in the 5/6 Nx group at 8th and 12th week (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the capillary density was decreased at the 8th and 12th week in 5/6 Nx rats (P < 0.01). In A & A-treated group, similarly with enalapril group, the amount of APP-positive glomerular capillary increased by 36% (P < 0.01), and the peritubular capillary density was increased 94% at 8th week and 52% at 12th week compared with 5/6 Nx group (P < 0.05). The renal level of VEGF was decreased in 5/6 Nx rats, but increased at the 8th and 12th week in A & A group (P < 0.05, vs. 5/6 Nx group). In conclusion, A & A has renoprotective effects by suppression of extra cellular matrix deposition in 5/6 Nx rat. The renoprotective effects may be associated with reduction of proteinuria, up-regulation of VEGF which may reduce the loss of capillaries and improve microstructure dysfunction.

67.Effect of three herbal extracts on NO and PGE2 production by activated mouse macrophage-like cells:

In Vivo. 2009 Jul-Aug;23(4):537-44.PMID: 19567387
 Three Chinese herbal extracts, Drynaria baronii, Angelica sinensis and Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (referred to as DB, AS, CO, respectively), were investigated for their possible anti-inflammatory activity. DB, AS and CO inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that this was due to the inhibition of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression at both protein and mRNA levels. Electron-spin resonance spectroscopy showed that DB, AS and CO dose-dependently scavenged the NO radical produced by NOC-7 in the presence of carboxy-PTIO. In order to confirm the anti-inflammatory potency, effects on prostaglandin (PG) E(2) production and the expression of enzymes involved in the arachidonic acid pathway were next investigated. DB and CO effectively inhibited the PGE(2) production by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, although the extent of inhibition of PGE(2) production was slightly lower than that of NO production. AS only marginally inhibited the LPS-stimulated PGE(2) production. DB, AS and CO inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression at both protein and mRNA levels, but to much lesser extents as compared with that for iNOS expression. These data further substantiate the anti-inflammatory potency of DB, AS and CO.

68.Antitumor potential of three herbal extracts against human oral squamous cell lines.:

Anticancer Res. 2009 Aug;29(8):3211-9.PMID: 19661337
 Three Chinese herbal extracts of Drynaria baronii, Angelica sinensis and Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (referred to as DB, AS, CO, respectively) were investigated for their antitumor potential. These extracts showed very weak cytotoxicity against all nine cultured human cells (normal and tumor cells), but with some tumor-specific cytotoxicity displayed by DB and CO. These extracts showed little or no growth stimulation effects at lower concentrations (so-called 'hormetic effect'). Human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (HSC-2, NA) were relatively resistant to committing apoptosis, as compared with human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. Electron-spin resonance spectroscopy shows that DB and CO scavenged superoxide anion (generated by hypoxanthine and xanthine oxidase reaction) and hydroxyl radical (generated by Fenton reaction) more efficiently than AS. DB and CO, but not AS, produced broad radical peak(s) and enhanced the superoxide scavenging activity of vitamin C. However, none of the extracts clearly enhanced the cytotoxicity of mitoxantrone, an anthracycline antitumor antibiotic. DB, but not CO and AS, showed weak anti-HIV activity. These data demonstrate several unique antitumor properties of DB.

69.Traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes in Tianjin urban population:

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Sep;7(9):823-6.PMID: 19747436
 Objective: To explore the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes in Tianjin urban population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on hospital patients with type 2 diabetes in TCM hospitals of different levels in Tianjin from 2003 to 2007. The multiphasic stratified cluster sampling method was adopted in selecting the target hospital. Finally 3 496 patients were selected as the survey sample. Then the constituent ratios of diabetes in different syndrome types were calculated. Results: In this study, the descending sort proportion of TCM syndrome types of type 2 diabetes in Tianjin urban population was deficiency of both qi and yin, stagnation of phlegm-dampness, exuberant heat due to yin deficiency, deficiency of both yin and yang, and blood stasis and qi stagnation. Most of the diabetes patients with deficiency of both qi and yin, deficiency of both yin and yang, and stagnation of phlegm-dampness were older than 60 years. Most of the diabetes patients with exuberant heat due to yin deficiency were 50 to 59 years old, while the diabetes patients with blood stasis and qi stagnation were 40 to 49 years old. The frequency of Danggui (Angelica sinensis) use was high in the diabetes patients with deficiency of both qi and yin; the frequency of Chenpi (Citrus reticulate Blanco) use was high in the diabetes patients with exuberant heat due to yin deficiency; the frequency of Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba) use was high in the diabetes patients with deficiency of both qi and yin; the frequency of Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae) use was high in the diabetes patients with stagnation of phlegm-dampness; and the frequency of Xingren (Semen Armeniacae) use was high in the diabetes patients with blood stasis and qi stagnation. Conclusion: The main syndrome types of diabetes patients in Tianjin urban area are deficiency of both qi and yin, stagnation of phlegm-dampness and exuberant heat due to yin deficiency. And the patients are mainly older than 50 years. The most frequently used herbs are Danggui (Angelica sinensis), Chenpi (Citrus reticulate Blanco), Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba), Gancao (Radix Glycyrrhizae) and Xingren (Semen Armeniacae).

70.Drug-use pattern of Chinese herbal medicines in insomnia: a 4-year survey in Taiwan:

J Clin Pharm Ther. 2009 Oct;34(5):555-60.PMID: 19753680
 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Insomnia is a common complaint in the general population. Interest in the use of alternative treatments for insomnia is increasing exponentially and is fairly common in Taiwan. We undertook a survey to define the drug utilization patterns of Chinese herbal medicines (CM) for insomnia in Taiwan. METHODS: The survey was conducted over a period of 4 years, from January 2003 to December 2006. Outpatients with primary insomnia and being treated with CM were studied. Core drug-use indicators were the number of CM items per prescription, the dosing frequency and duration of CM prescriptions, the most common prescribed CM herbs and CM formulae used. RESULTS: Six thousand eight hundred and sixty patients, using 37,046 CM herb items, were screened during the study period. The average CM items per prescription was 5.40. Most of prescriptions (95.23%) were prescribed for administration three times a day. The most often prescribed Chinese herbal products were Hong-Hwa (Carthamus tinctorius) and Jia-Wey-Shiau-Yau-San, which includes Angelica sinensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, Paeonia lactiflora, Bupleurum chinense, and Poria coco. CONCLUSION: This is the first extensive survey examining the drug utilization patterns of Chinese herbal medicines in the treatment of insomnia. Although the data were generated in Taiwan, the herbs and practices identified are likely to be widely generalizable wherever Chinese herbal remedies are used for insomnia. Multiple herbs and complex formulae were commonly used. The baseline data generated should be of use in informing subsequent studies, including those aimed at a thorough evaluation of the herbs' effectiveness.

71.Ligustilide Suppresses the Biological Properties of Danggui Buxue Tang: A Chinese Herbal Decoction Composed of Radix Astragali and Radix Angelica sinensis:

Planta Med. 2009 Oct 21.PMID: 19847742
 Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a herbal decoction composed of Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Angelica sinensis (RAS), has been used for treating menopausal irregularity in women for more than 800 years in China. According to the old tradition, RAS had to be processed with yellow wine before DBT preparation, which markedly reduced the amount of ligustilide in RAS and DBT, as well as enhanced the bioactivities of DBT. Here, we hypothesized that ligustilide would be an ingredient that possessed suppressive effects on DBT's functions. In the presence of ligustilide, the amount of astragaloside IV, calycosin, formononetin, and total polysaccharides extracted from RA were decreased. An increase of ligustilide caused a decrease of DBT's osteogenic activity in stimulating proliferation and differentiation of cultured bone cells. In addition, in the presence of a high level of ligustilide, DBT caused a side effect inducing the proliferation of breast MCF-7 cells. The current results strongly suggest that ligustilide is a negative regulator that hinders DBT to achieve its biological efficacy, which supports the traditional practice of preparing DBT using the ethanol-treated RAS.

72.Characterizations and anti-tumor activities of three acidic polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels:

Int J Biol Macromol. 2009 Nov 23.PMID: 19941888
 In this study, three acidic polysaccharides (APS-3a, APS-3b and APS-3c) were obtained from Angelica sinensis(Oliv.) Diels. They displayed different structural features and anti-tumor activities. APS-3b and APS-3c significantly inhibited the growth of S180 tumors and increased the life spans of S180 tumor-bearing mice, whereas APS-3a had no significant effect. The further experiments showed that APS-3b and APS-3c could cause a concentration-dependent proliferation of the splenocytes, up-regulate IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-6 mRNA expression in splenocytes and stimulate the productions of NO and TNF-alpha in peritoneal macrophages. Taken together, the three acidic polysaccharides displayed different anti-tumor activities which were associated with their different structural characteristics.

73.Book Reference:

 Women, Hormones and the Menstrual Cycle:Herbal and Medical Solutions from.By Ruth Trickey.

 Reference:

 1.Angelica Root and Its Benefit.

last edit date:23rd,Feb.2010.

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