''Angelica sinensis'', commonly known as ''dong quai'' () or female

ginseng Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as Korean ginseng ('' P. ginseng''), South China ginseng ('' P. notoginseng''), and American ginseng ('' P. quinquefolius''), typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides an ...

, is a herb belonging to the family

Apiaceae Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of mostly aromatic flowering plants named after the type genus ''Apium'' and commonly known as the celery, carrot or parsley family, or simply as umbellifers. It is the 16th-largest family of flowering plants ...

, indigenous to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. ''Angelica sinensis'' grows in cool high altitude mountains in East Asia. The yellowish brown root of the plant is harvested in the fall and is a well-known Chinese medicine which has been used for thousands of years.

Pharmacology

Growing environment

Angelica is hardy to and can be cultivated at elevations of . Seedlings need to be kept out of direct sunlight, but the mature plant can withstand it. Angelica requires deep moist fertile soil and is perennial if prevented from going to seed.

Traditional Chinese medicine

The dried root of ''A. sinensis'' commonly known as Chinese angelica () is widely used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

, although there is insufficient evidence that it has any medicinal effect.

Adverse effects

There is evidence that ''A. sinensis'' may affect the muscles of the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

. Women who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant should not use ''A. sinensis'', because it may induce a miscarriage. Taking ''A. sinensis'' can cause skin to become extra sensitive to the sun, leading to a greater risk for skin cancer.

Drug interactions

''A. sinensis'' may increase the anticoagulant effects of the drug

warfarin Warfarin, sold under the brand name Coumadin among others, is a medication that is used as an anticoagulant (blood thinner). It is commonly used to prevent blood clots such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and to prevent strok ...

(as it contains coumarins) and consequently increase the risk of bleeding. Due to the antiplatelet and

anticoagulant Anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners, are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes, where the ...

effects of ''A. sinensis'', it should be taken with caution with herbs or supplements (such as

ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus within ...

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

, and

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

) that may slow blood clotting to reduce the possible risk of bleeding and bruising.

Chemistry

The plant's chemical constituents include

phytosterol Phytosterols are phytosteroids, similar to cholesterol, that serve as structural components of biological membranes of plants. They encompass plant sterols and stanols. More than 250 sterols and related compounds have been identified. Free phyto ...

polysaccharide Polysaccharides (), or polycarbohydrates, are the most abundant carbohydrates found in food. They are long chain polymeric carbohydrates composed of monosaccharide units bound together by glycosidic linkages. This carbohydrate can react with wa ...

s, ligustilide,

butylphthalide Butylphthalide (3-''n''-butylphthalide or NBP) is one of the chemical constituents in celery oil, along with sedanolide, which is primarily responsible for the aroma and taste of celery. Studies in animal models suggest that butylphthalide may be ...

, cnidilide, isoenidilide,

p-cymene ''p''-Cymene is a naturally occurring aromatic organic compound. It is classified as an alkylbenzene related to a monoterpene. Its structure consists of a benzene ring ''para''-substituted with a methyl group and an isopropyl group. ''p''-Cym ...

ferulate Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid, an organic compound with the formula (CH3O)HOC6H3CH=CHCO2H. The name is derived from the genus ''Ferula'', referring to the giant fennel (''Ferula communis''). Classified as a phenolic phytochemical, feruli ...

, and

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

References

External links

''Angelica sinensis'' List of Chemicals (Dr. Duke's Databases)Angelica Sinensis (Oliv.) Diels.
Medicinal Plant Images Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University)
當歸, Dang Gui, Chinese Angelica
Chinese Medicine Specimen Database (School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University) {{Taxonbar, from=Q2051387 sinensis Flora of Eastern Asia Dietary supplements Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Taxa named by Daniel Oliver Taxa named by Ludwig Diels