What is Angelica dahurica

We often see Angelica dahurica in many dietary therapy recipes, for example: fish head stewed with Chuanxiong and Angelica dahurica and fish head soup with Angelica dahurica, ginger and so on. In fact, these two soups are blood-replenishing and pain-relieving soups, suitable for female friends. Angelica dahurica, which plays an important role in these soups, is actually not a vegetable but a traditional Chinese medicine, so these two soups can also be regarded as medicinal foods.

As a traditional Chinese medicine, Angelica dahurica has very high medicinal value. It can regenerate muscles and promote blood circulation. It also has a good analgesic effect. It has a certain therapeutic effect on diseases such as colds and rhinitis.

Angelica dahurica (Fisch. ex Hoffm.) Benth. et Hook. f. ex Franch. et Sav) is a perennial tall herb, 1-2.5 meters high. The species under its jurisdiction include Angelica dahurica from Hangzhou, Angelica dahurica from Qi, Angelica dahurica (original variant), and Angelica dahurica from Taiwan.

The root is used as medicine, which has the functions of curing diseases and removing dampness, draining pus and promoting tissue regeneration, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. It is mainly used to treat colds, headaches, rhinitis and toothaches. It can also be used as a spice to treat leucorrhea, painful carbuncle, swelling and infection. It is cultivated in some northern provinces and regions, most of which are produced and sold by themselves, and a small amount is exported out of the province. It generally grows under forests, on forest edges, beside streams, in thickets and valley grasslands.

1. Anti-inflammatory effect: Oral administration of 4 g/kg of Angelica dahurica or Angelica dahurica decoction (1 g equivalent to 1 g of raw drug) to mice significantly inhibited xylene-induced ear inflammation in mice (P<0.01).

2. Antipyretic and analgesic effects: In the high fever animal model created by subcutaneous injection of peptone into the back of white rabbits, 1g of Angelica dahurica or 15g/kg of Angelica dahurica decoction had a significant antipyretic effect. Oral administration of 8 g/kg Angelica dahurica or Angelica dahurica decoction significantly reduced the number of writhings induced by intraperitoneal injection of 1% acetic acid (0.1/kg) in mice, which was similar to the effect of 8 mg/kg aminopyrine, P<0.001. In the hot plate test on mice, those with a pain threshold within 30 minutes before administration were given 8g/kg of Angelica dahurica or Angelica dahurica by oral gavage. 60 minutes after administration, the pain threshold of Angelica dahurica and Angelica dahurica dahurica was significantly increased, P<0.001 and 0.01 compared with the saline group.

3. Antispasmodic effect: The bergamot lactone, zanthoxylum toxin and isoimperatorin B contained in this product have obvious antispasmodic effect on rabbit ileum. Isoprugine can also increase the contractility of the rabbit uterus and the tension of the earthworm muscle. Scopolamine has an antispasmodic effect on uterine spasms in rats in vivo or in vitro induced by estrogen or barium chloride, with an ED50 of 0.09 mg/kg.

4. Effects on cardiovascular system: The isoimperatorin and quinceanine contained in this product have the effect of lowering blood pressure for cats. 50 mg/kg can reduce arterial pressure by 50%, and the effect lasts for 1.5 hours. The copolymer of isoimperatorin and N-vinylpyrrolidone can prolong the time of lowering arterial pressure in cats by 5-10 times. It can also reduce the contractile force of isolated frog hearts.

5. Antibacterial effect: Angelica dahurica decoction has inhibitory effects on Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Proteus, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The oxypreparatatin contained in this product has antibacterial effect on 11 strains in vitro; imperatorin also has antibacterial effect on Zanthoxylum bungeanum toxin; the MIC of which against human Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37RV is 100mcg/ml. The water extract also has a certain inhibitory effect on pathogenic fungi such as Microspores of Ringworm.

6. Photosensitization: The furanocoumarin compounds such as bergamotol, zanthoxylum toxin, and isoimperatorin B contained in this product are photoactive substances. Once they enter the body and are exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet rays, they can cause solar dermatitis on the exposed skin, resulting in redness, swelling, increased pigmentation, and thickening of the skin. The photosensitizing activity of Zanthoxylum bungeanum is the strongest, followed by bergamotolone, and isoimperatorin B is the weakest. Photosensitizing substances can be used to treat vitiligo. Isoimperatorin is an active ingredient for the treatment of psoriasis, and its effectiveness has been clinically proven by erythema dose measurement.

7. Anti-cancer effect: Isoproteroside and angelicae sinensis have cytotoxic effects on Hela cells. The ED50 of isoimperatorin is 100 μg/ml.

8. Anti-radiation effect: 1g/kg of Angelica dahurica methanol extract injected intraperitoneally 5 minutes before X-ray irradiation has a protective effect on mouse skin damage.

9. Other effects: A small amount of Angelica dahurica toxicity can excite the animal's medullary vasomotor center, respiratory center, vagus nerve and spinal cord, and can increase blood pressure, slow the pulse, deepen breathing, and cause salivation and vomiting. Large amounts can cause tonic intermittent convulsions, followed by general paralysis.

Above we introduced the medicinal food made from Angelica dahurica. We know that Angelica dahurica is a common Chinese medicine. It can be eaten and used as medicine. It has very high medicinal value. We can use Angelica dahurica to promote muscle growth and promote blood circulation. Angelica dahurica can also treat headaches, colds, toothaches and other diseases.