Angelicae radix

Angelica root or angelica is a drug used as a herbal medicine with digestive, antispasmodic and antiflatulent effects. Angelicae radix is obtained from the dried roots of the plant Angelica archangelica the angelica. Occurs in the temperate zones of Europe and Asia, mainly in moist meadows, fens, scrublands and forests.

HPMC: not processed.
ESCOP monograph: dyspeptic complaints, mild abdominal cramps, delayed digestion, flatulence and bloating; loss of appetite, bronchitis;
Commission E monograph: loss of appetite; digestive complaints such as mild gastrointestinal cramps, bloating, flatulence.

Angelicae radix contains essential oil (0.5 to 1%) with pentadecanolide, linear furanocoumarins such as ammoidin, imperatorin, angular furanocoumarins such as angelicin and archangelicin. Furthermore tanning agents, phytosterols and sugars.

Angelicae radix has spasmolytic and cholagogue effects and promotes the secretion of gastric juice. It also has a mild antidepressant, analgesic and antimicrobial effect.

Angelicae radix is used for indications such as loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints such as a feeling of fullness, gastrointestinal cramps, anorexia or flatulence.

The furanocoumarins in the drug cause an increased light sensitivity; already at low UV light exposure a dermatitis solaris may occur.

Gloves should be worn when harvesting the angelica root and the herb of the plant. Direct contact with the eyes should also be avoided.

Stomach and intestinal ulcers. Caution in pregnancy and lactation - neither high doses nor long-term administration!

The fixed combination"angelica root+gentian root+caraway" positively monographed by Commission E consists of:

• Angelicae radix (angelica root)
• Gentianae radix (gentian root) and
• Carvi fructus .

This combination of medicines is used for flatulence, loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints.

The fixed combination of angelica root + gentian root + wormwood consists of:

• Angelicae radix (angelica root)
• Gentianae radix (gentian root)
• Absinthii herba (wormwood)

stimulates the appetite, promotes the secretion of gastric juice and is used in cases of loss of appetite and dyspeptic complaints such as bloating and flatulence.

1. Chang YX et al. (2013) Simultaneous determination of scopoletin, psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, columbianetin acetate, imperatorin, osthole and isoimperatorin in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS for pharmacokinetic studies following oral administration of Radix Angelicae Pubescentis extract.J Pharm Biomed Anal 77:71-75.
2. Schilcher H (2016) Leitfaden Phytotherapie, Urban & Fischer Verlag Munich, p. 53 f.
3. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/angelica.php.
4. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, p.68-69