Angelica gigas
| Angelica gigas | |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| (unranked): | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Species: | A. gigas
|
| Binomial name | |
| Angelica gigas Nakai
| |
Angelica gigas (Dang Gui or Giant Angelica, Purple Parsnip, Korean Angelica) is a monocarpic biennial or short lived perennial plant from China, Japan and Korea. It inhabits forests, grasslands and banks of streams. The roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Description
Angelica gigas is a stout plant that is 1 to 2 meters high with deep thick roots and purplish ribbed stem. Its leaf blades have a triangular-ovate outline. Korean Angelica has a 20–40 × 20–30 cm, 2–3-ternate-pinnate arrangement. The plant's purple umbel measures 5–8 cm across. Its dark purple-red obovate flowers, [dubious – discuss] blooms in late summer.
Cultivation
Giant Angelica prefers moist soil and full sun or semishade. The plant is best propagated through seeds in the spring. The plant is a perennial that flowers in the months of July to August.[1]
Chemical components
Research in 2007 has isolated a chemical from the root of the plant, a coumarin derivative called decursin, that may have anti-androgenic properties in vitro.[2] In 2013, the main substance decursin, decursinol angelate (its isomer), JH714 (the ether form) and epoxide decursin (the epoxide form) were analyzed in vitro and in vivo. CYP isoforms were inhibited more than 50%. There was good blood brain barrier permeability in rats after oral administration of all but epoxide. Pharmacokinetic studies after oral and intravenous administration of 10 mg/kg showed that after 8 hours all test compounds stayed in the gastrointestinal tract at more than 1.5% of the dose and less than 0.5% was excreted in urine.[3]
References
- ^ "Angelica gigas - Nakai". Plants for a Future. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ^ Lu, J; Kim, SH; Jiang, C; Lee, H; Guo, J (2007). "Oriental herbs as a source of novel anti-androgen and prostate cancer chemopreventive agents". Acta pharmacologica Sinica. 28 (9): 1365–72. doi:10.1111/j.1745-7254.2007.00683.x. PMID 17723170.
- ^ Mahat B, Chae JW, Baek IH, Song GY, Song JS, Ma JY, Kwon KI. Biopharmaceutical characterization of decursin and their derivatives for drug discovery. Drug Dev Ind Pharm. 2013 Oct;39(10):1523-30. doi 10.3109/03639045.2012.717296.PMID 23003006