Pharmacological Activities of Furanocoumarins from Angelica Dahurica

Angelica dahurica, a widely employed traditional herbal medicine, is rich in furanocoumarins such as imperatorin, isoimperatorin, xanthotoxin, phellopterin, bergapten and oxypeucedanin. These compounds exhibit a broad spectrum of bioactivities encompassing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiproliferative, cardiovascular and antidiabetic effects. Anti-inflammatory actions are largely mediated through suppression of the NF-κB signalling cascade, resulting in reduced production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Antioxidant potential stems from scavenging of free radicals and chelation of transition metals, while antiproliferative properties involve induction of cell cycle arrest and activation of p53-dependent pathways in cancer cells. Cardiovascular benefits include endothelium-independent vasorelaxation via blockade of calcium influx, and modulation of insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 secretion through GPR119 activation. Advances in spatial imaging have revealed heterogeneous distribution of furanocoumarins within root tissues, informing quality evaluation and selective breeding of superior cultivars. Pharmacokinetic studies underscore the influence of disease states on absorption dynamics, highlighting the need for tailored dosing in inflammatory conditions. Collectively, these findings position furanocoumarins from A. dahurica as promising leads for the development of novel therapeutic agents and quality-controlled botanical products.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A comprehensive study has explored how geographical variation shapes the quality of two major A. dahurica cultivars. By combining high-performance liquid chromatography with desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry imaging, researchers mapped the spatial distribution of key furanocoumarins across root tissues and correlated these patterns with the size of secretory tracts. One cultivar exhibited larger secretory structures and higher concentrations of imperatorin, isoimperatorin and oxypeucedanin, establishing anatomical features as reliable markers of pharmacological potency. This work provides a blueprint for integrating tissue-level imaging into quality-control protocols and guiding the selection of elite strains with optimised furanocoumarin profiles.

Pharmacological Activities of Furanocoumarins from Angelica Dahurica publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in pharmacological activities of furanocoumarins from angelica dahurica across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Furanocoumarin: A class of plant secondary metabolites featuring a fused furan ring and coumarin core, responsible for diverse bioactivities.

NF-κB pathway: A signalling cascade that controls transcription of genes encoding pro-inflammatory mediators.

DESI-MSI: Desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry imaging, a technique for mapping molecular distributions in tissue sections.

2D-HPTLC: Two-dimensional high-performance thin-layer chromatography, a method for high-resolution separation and profiling of complex mixtures.

Network pharmacology: An analytical framework integrating compound-target interactions and biological pathways to predict therapeutic mechanisms.

References

1. Screening of anti-inflammatory activities components of Angelica dahurica root based on spectrum-effect relationship analysis and NF-κB pathway. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2024).
2. The Prediction of Antioxidant Q-Markers for Angelica dahurica Based on the Dynamics Change in Chemical Compositions and Network Pharmacology. Molecules (2023).
3. Two-Dimensional High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography with Bioautography for Distinguishing Angelicae Dahuricae Radix Varieties: Chemical Fingerprinting and Antioxidant Profiling. Plants (2024).
4. Geographical distribution-based differentiation of cultivated Angelica dahurica, exploring the relationship between the secretory tract and the quality. Scientific Reports (2023).
5. Simultaneous Determination of Three Furanocoumarins by UPLC/MS/MS: Application to Pharmacokinetic Study of Angelica dahurica Radix after Oral Administration to Normal and Experimental Colitis-Induced Rats. Molecules (2017).
6. Investigation of the mechanisms of Angelica dahurica root extract-induced vasorelaxation in isolated rat aortic rings. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies (2015).
7. Angelica dahurica Extracts Improve Glucose Tolerance through the Activation of GPR119. PLOS ONE (2016).
8. The Antiproliferative Activity of Oxypeucedanin via Induction of G2/M Phase Cell Cycle Arrest and p53-Dependent MDM2/p21 Expression in Human Hepatoma Cells. Molecules (2020).