DONG QUAI

Botanical name: Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels

Family name: APIACEAE

Thai name: Tang Gui

Dong Quai, Dang Gui or Chinese Angelica is a fragrant and a perennial herb, is native to China and Japan, where it is now cultivated. Its root is a well-known Chinese herb that has been used in the treatment of female ailments, menopause syndrome, in China and Korea for thousands of years. The reputation of Dong Quai as a tonic is second only to Panax ginseng, and it is particularly noted for its ‘blood tonic’ effects on women. In research reports, the phenolic compounds such as ferulic acid have the antiinflammatory activity that induced by carrageenin, and have the analgesic activity that induced by acetic acid for both topical applications. In addition, the Dong Quai extract could to be used as a UV protection or sunscreen agent; due to its phenolic compounds have the photoprotective activity.

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS OF DONG QUAI EXTRACT

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION

          Typical trend of erythema index variation (DEI) vs. time for one subject. Aqueous solutions were applied on skin sites after exposure to UV-B radiation and left for 3 hours.

          Ferulic acid proved to afford a significant protection to the skin against UVB-induced erythema, since a significant difference was observed with controls.

             The area under the response-time curve (AUC_0–72) values obtained, in healthy volunteers, treating, after skin exposure to UV-B radiation, the skin sites with saturated aqueous solution (pH 7.2) of caffeic or ferulic acids.

^a Each value represents the mean of two different sites in the same subject. ^b Percentage inhibition of UVB skin erythema.

^* P<0.05. ^** P<0.01 compared with control. ^*** P<0.05 compared with caffeic acid.

Preservatives: None