CHINESE ANGELICA ROOT

Latin name: Radix Angelica Sinensis

Botanical Name:Angelica Sinensis (Oliv.)Diels.

English Name: Tang-Kuei

Chinese Name: 当归

1. CHARACTERISTICS

The dried root is in a shape similia to a cylinder,15-25cm long,and has 3-5 or more branch roots at the lower part.Its surface is tinged from yellowish-brown deep to brown,with long longitudinal grains and horizontal,long lenticels.The head of the root has a diameter of 1.5-4cm,the top is round and obtus,with annular veins and purple or yellowish-green remnants of stem and leaf sheaths.The surface of the main root is concavconvex ;the branch roots,generally having a diameter of 0.3-1cm,are thick at the upper part and thin at the lower and are mostly twisted,with a few traces of fibrous roots.It is flexible in texture;the cross section is yellowish-white and light yellowish-brown.The bark is thick,with crevices and many brown dotted secretory cavities.The colour of the xylem is lighter,showing yellowish-brown stratiform circles.The drug emits strong fragrance and tastes sweet,acrid and a little bitter.

2. DISTRIBUTION

It is mainly produced in Gansu,Sichuan,Yunnan,Shangxi,Guizhou provines.Gansu province produces the good and high quality Chinese Angelica Root and it is very famous in China and all of the world.

3. ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

It is contained rich active ingredients Ligustilid and Ferulic Acid used for extracting .

4. NATURE,TASRE AND CHANNEL TROPISM

Chinese angelica root is sweet and acrid in taste,warm in nature and therapeutically related to the channels of liver,heart and spleen.

5. ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS

1). Replenishing blood and regulating menstruation

It is effecacious in the treatment of flaccidity and pale complexion,vertigo,palpitationirregular menstruation, amenorhea and dysmenorrhea due to blood deficiency.

2). Promoting blood circulation to stop pain.

It is efficacious for such conditions as traumatic injury carbuncle,celluliti,sore,ulcer and other skin and external diseases,arthralgia due to pathogenic winddampness,and abdominal pain due to stanation of blood during menstruation and delivery.

3). Loosing the bowels to relieve constipation.

It is efficacious for constipation due to the dryness of bowels and blood deficiency. The raw Chinese angelica root(slices) is more eligible for enriching the blood and loosing the bowels,while the liquored Chinese angelica root is more eligible for promoting blood circulation and restoring menstrual flow.