Angelica Root Extract Powder

Description

What is Dong Quai (Angelica Root) Extract Powder?

• Dong quai (Angelica sinensis), also known as Chinese Angelica, is a herb from the family Apiaceae, indigenous to China.

• The yellowish brown root of the plant is harvested in fall and is well-known traditional Chinese medicine, which has been using over thousands years, primarily for health conditions in women.

• Dong quai has been called “female ginseng,” based on its use for gynecological disorders (such as painful menstruation or pelvic pain), recovery from childbirth or illness, and fatigue/low vitality. It is also given for strengthening xue (loosely translated as “the blood”), for cardiovascular conditions/high blood pressure, inflammation, headache, infections, and nerve pain.

Chemical Constituents of Dong Quai (Angelica Root) Extract：

• Dong quai contains essential oil (0.4-0.7%) consisting of 45% ligustilide, n-butylphthalide, cadinene, carvacrol, safrole and isosafrol. The root also contains sucrose (40%) and various lactonesand vitamins, together with phytosterols, ferulic acid and coumarins, including osthole, psoralen and bergapten. Ferulic acid and ligustilide are considered to be the main active components and it has been suggested that assessment of total ferulic acid content provides a good measure of herbal quality.The active constituents in dong quai are a group of coumarin derivatives including oxypeucedanin, osthole, imperatorin, psoralen, and bergaptin.

How Dong Quai (Angelica Root) Extract Works (Action Mechanism)？

• Ferulic acid, one of the constituents of Dong quai, may play an important role in the treatment of osteoarthritis by reducing the hydrogen peroxide-induced interleukin IL-1beta, tumor necrosis factor TNF-alpha, matrix metalloproteinases MMP-1 and MMP-13 and by increasing SOX9 gene expression. SOX9 is a protein involved in the establishment and maintenance of the phenotype of chondrocytes.

• In another study, Dong quai polysaccharides demonstrated anti-osteoarthritic activity by stimulating Insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1) and IGF1 receptor gene expression, which resulted in promoting UDP-sugars and glycosaminoglycan synthesis due to up-regulation of gene expression of UDP-sugar synthases.

• A component isolated from dong quai promotes wound healing and bone regeneration by inducing osteoblast proliferation and hyaluronic acid deposition.

• The water extract from dong quai was shown to have estrogen-agonist activity and stimulated proliferation of both estrogen receptor-positive and negative breast cancer cells. It exerts a protective effect in mice with radiation-induced pneumonitis by down regulating proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and TGF-beta1. Subcutaneous injection of dong quai extract also protected mice against cyclophosphamide-induced cytotoxicity by promoting recovery from leukopenia.

• The antitumor effects of dong quai may be due to its inhibitory effects on invasion and metastasis of carcinoma cells and by suppression of tumor growth which may be mediated by Nur77-dependent apoptosis. Furthermore, dong quai extracts promote angiogenesis by inducing proliferation and migration of endothelial cells by upregulating VEGF expression

Benefits of Taking Dong Quai (Angelica Root) Supplement：

• Renowned Herb for Women’s Health: Dong quai, derived from the root of the Chinese perennial Angelica sinensis, ranks just below ginseng as the most popular herb in China and Japan. It has often been referred to as the “female ginseng,” popular among women for centuries as a “blood tonic” and used to promote a healthy menstrual cycle and to ease normal menstrual discomfort.

• Additional Benefits: Preclinical studies also suggest that dong quai may exert a beneficial cardiovascular effect, through stimulation of circulation, decreased myocardial oxygen consumption, and decreased vascular resistance. In addition to its traditional use as a female tonifier, current research is now focusing on its cardiovascular and liver protective effects, and its role as an antioxidant, antispasmodic, and immunomodulator.

Are There any Side Effects with Dong Quai (Angelica Root) ?

• Dong quai, particularly at high doses, may make you more sensitive to sunlight and cause skin inflammation and rashes. Stay out of the sun or use sunscreen while taking dong quai.

Dosage of Dong Quai (Angelica Root) Extract：

• Several forms of the plant exist and dosages vary widely: crude root extract by decoction ranges from 3 to 15 g/day; powdered root, 1 to 2 g 3 times a day; and tablets 500 mg up to 6 times a day.

• In a clinical trial investigating use in menopause, dong quai 4.5 g was administered daily for 24 weeks. In combination, dong quai 100 mg standardized to 1% ligustilide was similarly used daily.