Zhongzhen Zhao li liang
Keywords: Angelica , Shennong’s Herbal Classic, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Journal of World Traditional Pharmacology, Blood-nourishing and Blood-activating, Siwu Decoction.
Vital Medicine for Gynecology
Traditional Chinese medicine stores, Chinese medicine hospitals, Chinese herbal medicine markets, and even Chinese medical universities often have the unforgettable smell of traditional Chinese medicine. That rich scent has the contribution of angelica (“Dang Gui” in Chinese), the queen of women’s herbs.
I graduated from Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. On the old campus, there is a huge stone with four big characters engraved on it; the characters are 熟地當歸. The first two characters refer to the medicinal herb rehmannia, while the third and fourth characters refer to angelica. These four characters are pronounced “Shu Di Dang Gui”, but that pronunciation is the same for another four characters which mean “Familiar Place-Should Return”. Thus, these four characters at the same time represent two very important herbs in Chinese medicine, and they express the hope that graduates will return to this familiar place even after graduation.
Li Shizhen found another context for “Dang Gui” as meaning “supposed to return”. In the Compendium of Materia Medica he wrote: “Angelica can regulate blood and is a very important medicine for women. It has the meaning of missing one’s husband, thus it is called Dang Gui”.
Stone with “Shu Di Dang Gui (熟地當歸)” engraved on it at Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Mr. Shengli Wei is on the left, I am on the right)
Botany of Angelica
The scientific name of angelica is Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. It is in the Apiaceae Family, which is also the family of carrots, parsley, fennel, coriander, and lovage, a plant long cultivated in Europe. All of these plants have similar characteristics, in that they grow from a root, have large, fern-like leaves, and emit strong, distinctive fragrances and flavors, in roots, leaves and seeds.
Plant of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels.
Hometown of Angelica
The main production area of angelica is in the junction of southern Gansu and northern Sichuan Provinces, around Minxian, Gansu. As early as a thousand years ago, Minxian County gave angelica as a tribute to the Chinese Emperor Wudi in the Southern Liang Dynasty. Since then, the angelica from Minxian has had a high reputation. Indeed, it is said, “Chinese angelica is the best in the world, and Minxian angelica is the best in China”. Li Shizhen concurs; in the Compendium of Materia Medica, he wrote: “Qin Gui with a round head, many tails, purple in color, fragrant and fat are known as Ma Wei Gui, which is the best angelica.” Qin Gui refers to the angelica produced in Gansu Province.
Today, Minxian County is an authentic area of production as angelica has been cultivated there for thousands of years. Minxian is now also named as the hometown of angelica in China.
One of the postdoctoral fellows under my supervision, Dr. Lu Guanghua, went back and forth to Minxian County for three years in order to study angelica. He did his field investigation on sowing, transplanting and harvesting. During his Ph.D, he studied angelica for three years; then as a postdoctoral fellow, he studied angelica for another two years. The conclusion of his extensive systematic research and comparison was that the therapeutic effect of angelica produced in Minxian County is significantly better than that from other places. Thus, modern science once again confirms that the ancients were right!
Dr. Guanghua Lu at the plantation base of angelica in Gansu Province
Angelica Harvesting
Angelica roots are dug at the end of autumn. The roots are bundled into small handfuls, hung in a shack, and then slowly smoked with fire until dry. Therefore, the angelica processed in this way seen in the market may have some traces of smoke on the surface.
Whole medicinal materials of angelica are cylindrical, with longitudinal wrinkles on the surface. A good angelica root is thick and long, the outer skin is yellow-brown, and the texture is relatively oily. Even if it is not broken, the smell is very fragrant and quite distinctive.
The whole root of angelica is known as Quan Gui. Different names refer to different portions of angelica root; these include: Gui Tou, Gui Shen, and Gui Wei. Gui Tou is the head of the root (the upper apex of the root); it is good at nourishing blood. Gui Shen is the tap root; it pays equal attention to nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation. Gui Wei is the lateral roots and rootlets; it is good at promoting blood circulation.
When my research group was doing research for the formulation of the Hong Kong Standards for Chinese Medicinal Materials, a systematic comparative study of different parts of angelica was conducted. The research data proved that there are in fact chemical differences between Gui Tou, Gui Shen, and Gui Wei, which means that it is reasonable for the ancients to have used them separately.
Angelica Processing
Chinese medicinal processing is a unique feature of traditional Chinese medicine, and it is more elaborate and varied than the herbal processing done in other cultures. Angelica is a good example of the complexities of Chinese herbal processing and of how processing of specific herbs has evolved over the centuries.
For thousands of years, with the continuous development of traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese medicinal processing has undergone changes——from simple to complex, and then from complex back to simple. Historically, there are 21 recorded methods for processing angelica. Nowadays, only three major processing methods for angelica are being used: cut (raw), processed with wine, and charred (stir-fried until carbonized).
Different processing methods are used to achieve different medicinal efficacies.
For angelica used as raw herb (the cut form), there are two forms of decoction pieces. First, there are slices—the root simply cut into thin slices, unpressed. Second, there are pressed pieces of the whole root. The unpressed slices are small (1-2” in diameter), irregularly round or oblong in shape, and whitish in color. The pressed slices are much larger (5-6” in length), fan-shaped and yellowish-white in color. The pressed, fan-shaped slices are especially used in Hong Kong. It is generally believed that raw angelica has moisturizing properties. It can nourish blood and moisten the intestines.
Two forms of decoction pieces of raw angelica
For wine-processed angelica, raw angelica root slices are mixed with yellow rice wine and sealed in a container. After fully permeated and becoming soft, they are removed from the container and stir-fried over a low fire until they become dark yellow. Wine-processed ngelica contains the pungent properties of wine, which enhances the effects of promoting blood circulation and dispersing blood stasis.
For charred angelica (Dang Gui Tan), raw angelica root slices are stir-fried over a oderate fire until they become slightly black (carbonized), and then they are sun-dried. This method reduces the pungent properties of angelica. This form is used for stopping bleeding and tonifying the blood.
Modern methods of processing Chinese angelica root
Vital Medicine for Gynecology
While methods for processing angelica are described in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, there are regional differences in Asia. In China, the wine used is Chinese rice wine of 10%. Vietnam, however, has its own regulations on angelica processing. According to the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia, only wine with alcohol content above 40% can be used to process angelica. Each 100kg of angelica should be processed with 10kg of wine—but the strength of the wine is important. Processing regulations and efficacy in different countries and regions still need to be understood, discussed, and, ideally, made uniform.
Uses as Food and Medicine
The medicinal use of angelica was first recorded in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing (Classic of the Materia Medica or Shen-nong’s Herbal Classics), where it is listed as a “middle rank” herb. In Chinese medicine, this term refers to medicines that are non-toxic or slightly toxic; they can be used to treat diseases or as tonics, but their supplementing effects are not as strong as the medicines in the “upper rank”, and should be used with caution.
Angelica is sweet, pungent and warm in nature. It supplements the blood, invigorates the blood, regulates menstruation, relieves pain, moistens the intestines, and frees the stool. In class, whenever I talk about E Jiao (donkey hide glue) and angelica, students will ask which medicine is more powerful.
In fact, these two medicines have their own characteristics—and the differences highlight the unique value of angelica. Strength is not the only measure of efficacy. E Jiao is a product derived from animals. Its nourishing power is stronger than that of the herb. But angelica can not only nourish blood, but also activate blood. The syndrome of blood deficiency is often prone to blood stasis due to insufficient blood power. In clinical use, it is often necessary to supplement and invigorate blood at the same time. It is the characteristic of angelica to have both functions.
Chinese medicine believes that Qi is the commander of blood, and blood is the mother of Qi. This demonstrates the close relationship between Qi and blood. In clinical use, angelica is often used in conjunction with Qi-tonifying medicine. The formula Danggui Buxue Decoction uses astragalus and angelica in a ratio of 5:1.
In addition to its medicinal use, angelica is also one of the most commonly used ingredients in tonic food, especially soups. The aroma of Angelica is strong, so it is not so delicious when used alone in foods. If you add codonopsis, astragalus, jujube, and yam together with the angelica, both, the nourishing effect and the taste will be better. Angelica, Ginger and Mutton Soup from Zhang Zhongjing, a famous Eastern Han Dynasty Chinese doctor, is a well-known tonic for nourishing blood and dispelling cold. For some women with Qi and blood deficiency, it is recommended to use angelica to stew chicken and ribs, which is not only delicious but also has the effects of nourishing and beautifying.
Chicken soup boiled with angelica, astragalus, and jujube.
Overseas “Angelica”
Angelica is produced in foreign countries, but it is not Angelica sinensis, the species grown in China. The angelica used in Japan is Angelica acutiloba Kit., i.e., same genus but different species; it is called Japanese angelica or “Da He Dang Gui” in Chinese. It is mainly produced in Nara and Toyama prefectures. There is also a variety of Japanese angelica, A. acutiloba Kit. var. sugiyamae Hikino, which is mainly produced in Hokkaido.
The famous formula Si Wu Tang, or “Four Ingredient Soup”, is commonly used in both China and Japan. The four herbs in the original formula are Shu Di Huang (“cooked” rehmannia), Bai Shao (white peony root), Dang Gui (angelica) and Chuan Xiong (ligusticum). But, in Japan, the medicinal materials used for this formula are different from those in China. Historically, the ancient traditional Chinese medicine books were passed to Japan, but not all the medicinal materials could be found or grown there. So, the Japanese substituted local materials. In the absence of Chinese angelica, they used Japanese angelica. Without Chuan Xiong, they used Japanese Chuan Xiong, another plant of the same family but a different genus. The Japanese version of the formula is used in same way as the original Chinese version.
Medicinal material of Japanese angelica
Plant of Japanese angelica
There are two kinds of angelica used in South Korea; one is A. acutiloba Kitagawa var. sugiyamae Hikino (a variety of Japanese angelica), and the other is the locally produced A. gigas Nakai (Korean Angelica). People who have been to South Korea may have seen the four Chinese characters “身土不二”. It means that each place has its own way of supporting its own inhabitants, thus advocating that people use domestic products. This policy even applies to herbal medicine. Thus, in Korea, it is recommended to use angelica grown domestically.
In Europe, there is Levisticum officinale Koch (European Angelica), which is native to western Asia, and is cultivated in many countries in Europe and North America. The common name is lovage, and its leaves are used as a herb, its roots as a vegetable, and its seeds as a spice. When you smell lovage, you will recognize a similarity with angelica. The European pharmacopoeia records this herb.
In different countries and regions, there are different medicinal resources. And people’s physiques, living and eating habits are also different. As a result, the use of medicines cannot be the same.
Doctors can use medicines properly in clinical practice only when they know the properties of the medicines. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 edition), there is only one botanical source for angelica, which is Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. European angelica and Japanese angelica are not listed as sources for the medicinal herb. So legally speaking, while these varieties may have value, they cannot be used as “angelica” in China.
Angelica is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. Its Latin name, Angelica sinesis, literally translates to “China’s Angel”. This angel can bring good luck, happiness and well-being to people, especially women. Angelica has many characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, such as historical use recorded in ancient books, a Daodi production area of authentic materials, multiple parts used differently, complex and specific processing methods, and its use for both medicine and food. Getting to know this herb well puts you on the road to understanding Chinese medicine.
Author information:
Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
