Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Chinese Herbs

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Bai Zhi (Radix Angelicae Dahuricae)

Bai Zhi is also known as Angelica Root. The acrid and warm herb has been usded in TCM to headache, red and white vaginal discharge, amenorrhea and swelling in vagina, dry and
itchy skin, sinus infection, pain in intestine and hemorrhoids, stimulate CNS, respiratory system, increase blood pressure, slows heart rate, etc as it expels Wind and Pus;, dries Dampness, resolves oedema, calms pain as it promoting the function of lung, stomach channels.
Ingredients
1. Imperatorin
2. Courmarins
3. Skimmin
4. Isoimperatorin;oxypeucedanin
5. Oxypeucedanin hydrate
6. Phellopterin
7. Byakangelicin;tert-O-methylbyakangelicin
8. Coumarin glycosides
9. Nodakenin;3-hydroxy-marmesinin
10. Tert-O-D-glu-copyranosylbyakangelicin
11. Sec-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl byakangeliein
12. Scopolin
13. 8-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl xanthotoxol
14. Tert-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl heraclenol
15. Adeno-sine.
16. Etc.
Health Benefits
1. Skin whitening
Two coumarin compounds, isoimperatorin and and imperatorin have exerted the poperty in lowering the mRNA level of tyrosinase as result of that bai zhi may be considered as new whitening agent in cosmetics, according to the study of “New cosmetic agents for skin whitening from Angelica dahurica” by Cho YH, Kim JH, Park SM, Lee BC, Pyo HB, Park HD(1)
2. Vasodilatation activity
Imperatorin extracted from Bai Zhi has shown the ability of induced vasodilatation regulated by nitric oxide by signifificantly attenuated to 24.88%+/-4.06%, as the result showed that Bai zhi may be beneficial for treating elevtile dysfunction, according to the study of “Imperatorin is responsible for the vasodilatation activity of Angelica Dahurica var. Formosana regulated by nitric oxide in an endothelium-dependent manner” by Nie H, Meng LZ, Zhou JY, Fan XF, Luo- Y, Zhang GW.(2)
3. Antioxidant activities
Crude polysaccharides (CADPs), isolated from the roots of Angelica dahurica by H(2) has found to significantly inhibit lipid peroxidation, chelate Fe(2+) , and scavenge HO(.) radicals, according to the study of “Chemical composition and antioxidant activities of different polysaccharides from the roots of Angelica dahurica” by Xu SF, Ye YP, Li XY, Chen FY.(3)
4. Anti-inflammatory activity
Ethanolic extract (ADEE) of Bai Zhi has shown the property of anti-inflammatory activity acting via the suppression of the NF-κB pathwayaccording to the “Anti-inflammatory activity of Angelica dahurica ethanolic extract on RAW264.7 cells via upregulation of heme oxygenase-1” by Lee MY, Lee JA, Seo CS, Ha H, Lee H, Son JK, Shin HK.(4)
5. Anti-asthmatic effects
Ethanolic extract (AD) of Bai zhi has reduced airway inflammation and suppressed oxidative stress in the OVA-induced asthma model, partly via induction of heme oxygenase (HO)-1, according to the study of ” Anti-asthmatic effects of Angelica dahurica against ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation via upregulation of heme oxygenase-1″ by Lee MY, Seo CS, Lee JA, Lee NH, Kim JH, Ha H, Zheng MS, Son JK, Shin HK.(5)
6. Anti cancers and tumors
Isolation of six furanocoumarins from the root extract of Angelica dahurica, including hexane have demonstrated a significant inhibition on the proliferation of cultured human tumor cells such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OV-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma), XF498 (central nervous system) and HCT-15 (colon), according to the study of “Antiproliferative effect of furanocoumarins from the root of Angelica dahurica on cultured human tumor cell lines” Kim YK, Kim YS, Ryu SY.(6)
7. Sepsis
Isolation of furanocoumarins from Bai Zhi has shown the ability of decreased the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and alanine aminotransferase in mice, according to the study of “Agents protecting against sepsis from the roots of Angelica dahurica” by Song DK, Kim JY, Li G, Lee KS, Seo CS, Yan JJ, Jung JS, Kim HJ, Chang HW, Son JK.(7)
8. Etc.
Side Effects
1. Bai Zhi may cause allergic effect to certain people
2. It may cause may cause dermatitis as a result of chemical compound furocoumarins which increases skin sensitivity to sunlight(a)
3. It may increase the rate of respiration, blood pressure, decrease pulse rate, increases saliva production
4. Overdoses may cause vomiting convulsions
5. Etc.