Experimental Studies On The Essential Oil Of Angelica Sinensis (Oliv.) Diels: Extraction, Chemical Constituents Analysis And Its Pharmacological Effects

BackgroundAngelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels has been used as a remedy in China for more than two thousand years. Nowadays, it is still valued as an importment drug in traditional Chinses medicine for gynecological disorders, especially for the treatment of dysmenorrhea. The abdominal pain before, during and after menstruation can be eased after the administration of Angelica sinensis Diels. It can promote the development of uterus. The secretion as well as the inflammation can also be alleviated after the drug was given. As early as 1950s, elaborate studies have been done on the effects of the isolated uterine smooth muscle. The results show that the drug contains two components,one component inhibits the uterus while the other stimulates it. It has two way effects on the uterine smooth muscle. The inhibiting part consists chiefly of essential oil which may strikingly inhibit the contraction of the isolated uterusin animal.Dysmenorrhea is a common disease in female. Modem researches demonstrate that there are two kinds of dysmenorrhea: one is primary while the other is secondary. Primary dysmenorrhea always invade adolescent. The sufferers' reproduction organs have no pathological changes. It chiefly related to the synthesis and release of PG. The PG content in the blood and inner membrane of uterus in these patients is much higher than that of normal females. PG can stimulate the uterus and lead to acute contraction. Thus the supply of blood to uterus is insufficient. This will elevate uterus basic tensile force and quicken the frequency of contraction. Abnormal uterus contraction is caused, while blood and oxygen are lacked hi the uterus. Dysmenorrhea occur. Secondary dysmenorrhea is caused by pathological changes in female pelvic, such as adenomyosis, pelvic endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and so on. Dysmenorrhea is the typical symptom of these inflammatory diseases.Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels and its preparations have been used hi clinic for many years. Satisfactory results have been achieved hi the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Animal experiments also demonstrate that it can inhibit isolated uterine smooth muscles of various animals. It has inhibitory effects on strength, tone and frequency of the uterus. But what we don't know is whether it is the essential oil that acts anti - dysmenorrhea effects. Except for its antagonist effects on isolated uterine smooth muscles, dose it has analgesia and anti - inflammatory effects? What is the mechanism of the essential oil's antagonist effects on isolated uterine smooth muscles? Answers to these questions are lacked. Our subject is going to extract the drug's essential oil and analyse its chemical constituents. We will study its anti - dysmenorrhea , anti - inflammatory and the mechanism of antagonist effects of the essential oil onrat uterius contraction in vitro. We want to do systematic researches on its anti - dysmenorrhea effects and provide experimental basis for the treatment of dysmenorrhea in clinic. MethodsFresh Angelica sinensis Diels produced in Minxian county, Gansu province was employed as experimental material. After the fresh roots were smashed, it was immersed in ethanol and the mixture were heated to boiling and filtered. The filtrates were collected and evaporated to dryness by rotary evaporator. Thus extracts were gained. Distilled water were added to the extract and were distilled by steam. Distillated fluid were mixed and sodium chloride were added . The essential oil were extracted by petroleum ether and ethyl acetate (85:15) from water. After the fluid of extraction being retrieved and dryed with Na2SC>4, the essential oil was gained. Gas chromatography ?mass spectrometry was used to analyse the chemical constituents of the essential oil. NBS 75KL Database and relative reference standards were used in the constituents identification. Total ion current figure was used to do quantitative analysis.Pain model which was induced by chemical stimulus (acetic acid) and female mouse dysmenorrhea model were emp...