DONG QUAI

Published on 22/06/2015 by admin

Filed under Complementary Medicine

Last modified 22/06/2015

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DONG QUAI

Botanical name: Angelica sinensis

Family name: Apiaceae

Synonyms: Dang gui, Tang kuei

Part used: Root (whole root, root head, root body, root tail)

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

Important compounds in dong quai include alkylphthalides present in the essential oil fractions of the plant and ferulic acid. The plant also contains additional essential oils, amino acids, lipids, aromatic compounds, polysaccharides, monoterpenes, and diterpenes. Vitamins A, B1, B12, E, biotin, and nicotinic acid, as well as a number of trace minerals, are found in the root.

PRINCIPAL GYNECOLOGIC AND OBSTETRIC USES

• Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antispasmodic for the treatment of dysmenorrhea and endometriosis
• Menstrual irregularities, i.e., amenorrhea
• Uterine atony
• Infertility
• In TCM used to “nourish the blood,” “regulate qi,” and treat “blood stasis” and “blood vacuity,” which may be considered to include the Western medical diagnoses of dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids

Other uses:

• Fatigue
• Convalescence
• Improve circulation
• Cardiovascular protective effects

TRADITIONAL AND HISTORICAL USES

Dong quai is one of the oldest and most respected herbs in the Chinese pharmacopoeia, used since at least the first century to “nourish the blood and qi” and restore a state of well-being. Although not used exclusively for gynecologic complaints, its popularity as a woman’s herb in the Western world stems from its traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses for the treatment of dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, other menstrual irregularities, and uterine complaints. Traditionally, the herb is not used alone, but in combination formulae specific to various conditions. In addition to the aforementioned indications, it was used in pregnancy formulae to “quiet the fetus” in cases of threatened miscarriage, and in the postnatal period in soups to strengthen the blood and restore strength; however, in the West it is typically contraindicated during pregnancy (see Use in Pregnancy and Lactation).

CLINICAL INDICATIONS

Dong quai is a popular herb in contemporary western herbal medicine used in the treatment of a variety of gynecologic complaints, particularly for menstrual irregularities and endometriosis. Herbalists consider dong quai a “uterine tonic” based on its traditional uses and also on in vivo and in vitro animal studies demonstrating

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Dong quai (Angelica sinensis).

(Photo by Martin Wall.)

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