Rheumatism, back pain treated with TCM Angelica root

What is Angelica root(Du Huo)? As previously mentioned, Angelica, a genus in the family Apiaceae, covers somewhere around 60 different species, among which Angelica pubescens, also known as shishiudo in Japanese common name, is one of its members. And in TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) it mainly means the dried root of Angelica pubescens Maxim. f. biserrata Shan et Yuan. Its harvest time is in early spring when seedlings are just sprouting or in late fall after stems and leaves withered. Next it needs to remove the fibrous roots and dirt before half drying them. And then stack them for 2 to 3 days till they become soft. Finally dry them completely by the fire.

The root is slightly cylindrical, 10 to 30cm long, and with 2 to 3 or more branches in the lower part. Root head is dilated, coniform, 1.5 to 3cm in diameter and with residue or depression left by stems and leaves on top. The taupe or brown surface is with longitudinal wrinkles, long ridgy horizontal lenticels, and slightly protruding marks of radicula. It is hard but becomes soft when affected with damp. Cortex is gray and with majority scattered brown oil cavity. Xylem is from greyish yellow to yellow-brown and forms brown ring levels. It has a peculiar aroma and bitter, acrid taste, which tends to cause a numb feeling and tingling in the lips and tongue.

Main chemical constituents include furanocoumarins, columbianetin, columbianetin acetate, osthol, isoimperatorin, bergapten, xanthotoxin, columbia-nadin, columbianetin-β-D-glcopy-ra-noside, anpubesol, angelol D, G, B, γ-aminobutyric acid, and volatile oil. And volatile oil contains more than 50 ingredients, mainly including eremophilene, thymol, α-cedrene, humulene, p-cresol, β-cedrene, humulene, p-cresol, β-cedrene, oxocy-clohexandecan-2-one, bicycol[7,2,0]undec-4, 11, 11-gtimethyl-8-methylene, dodecylisopropylether, 4,4-methylenebis(2,3,5,6-te-tramethyl)phenol, α-longipinene, sylvestrene, α-longipinene, nerolidol, p-cymene, α-phel-ladrene, and so on.

Angelica root benefits
Angelica root herb is one of common Chinese herbs and widely used in herbal remedies simply because it has plenty of root health benefits. It can be used by essential oil, tea, powder, tincture, capsules, extract, and so on. And its modern pharmacology can justify its popularity.

Modern pharmacological actions
1. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic and sedative effect;
2. It has inhibition to platelet aggregation;
3. It has hypotensive effect, which however is not stable;
4. It contains bergapten, xanthotoxin and other ingredients, which has photosensitization and anti-tumor effect.