Description
Somewhat cylindrical, 3-5 or more branched at the lower part, 15-25 cm long. Externally yellowish-brown to brown, longitudinally wrinkled and transversely lenticellike protruded. Root stocks (Guitou)1.5-4 cm in diameter, annulated, apex obtuse and rounded, showing purple or yellowish-green remains of stems and leaf sheaths; main roots (Guishen) lumpy on the surface; branching roots (Guiwei) 0.3-1cm in diameter, the upper portion thick and the lower portion thin, mostly twisted and exhibiting a few rootlet scars. Texture flexible, fracture yellowish-white or yellowish-brown, bark thick, showing some clefts and numerous brown dotted secretory cavities, wood paler in colour, cambium ring yellowish-brown. Odour, strongly aromatic; taste, sweet, pungent and slightly bitter.
It is not used medicinally if the roots become woody, withered and not oily, or greenish-brown on the fracture.
Identification
- Transverse section: Cork cells in several layers. Phelloderm narrow , scattered with a few oil cavities. Phloem broad, more cleft, oil cavities and oil tubes subrounded , 25-160μm in diameter, relatively large on the outer side, gradually becoming small inwards, surrounded by 6-9 secretory cells. Cambium in a ring. Xylem rays 3-5 rows of cells wide; vessels singly scattered, or 2-3-grouped, arranged radially; parenchymatous cells containing starch granules.
Powder: Yellowish-brown. Parenchymatous cells in phloem fusiform, walls slightly thickened, with very fine oblique crisscross striations, sometimes thin transverse septavisible. Scalariform and reticulate vessels frequent, up to 80μm in diameter. Sometimes fragments of oil cavities visible.
- To 0.5 g of the powder add 20 ml of ether, ultrasonicate for 10 minutes and filter. Evaporate the filtrate to dryness and dissolve the residue in 1 ml of ethanol as the test solution. Prepare a solution of 0.5 g of Radix Angelicae Sinensis reference drug in the same manner as the reference drug solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography (Appendix VI B), using silica gel G as the coating substance and a mixture of n-hexane and ethyl acetate (4:1) ad the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate 10μl of the above two solutions. After developing and removal of the plate, dry in air. Examine under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The fluorescent spots in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution correspond in position and colour to the spots obtained with the reference drug solution.
- To 3 g of the powder add 50 ml of 1% solution of sodium bicarbonate, ultrasonicate for 10 minutes, and centrifuge. Adjust the supernatant to pH 2-3 with dilute hydrochloric acid, extract by shaking with two 20-ml quantities of ether, combine the ether extracts and evaporate to dryness. Dissolve the residue in 1 ml of methanol as the test solution. Dissolve a quantity of ferulic acid CRS in reference solution. Carry out the method for thin layer chromatography (Appendix VI B), using silica gel G as the coating substance and a mixture of benzene, ethyl acetate and formic acid (4:1:0.1) as the mobile phase. Apply separately to the plate 10μl of each of the above two solutions. After developing and removal of the plated, dry in air. Examine under ultraviolet light at 365 nm. The fluorescent spot in the chromatogram obtained with the test solution corresponds in position and colour to the spot obtained with the reference solution.
Water
Carry out the method for determination of water (Appendix IX H, method 2), not more than 12.0 per cent.
Total ash
Not more than 7.0 per cent(Appendix IX K).
Acid-insoluble ash
Not more than 2.0 per cent (Appendix IX K).
Extractives
Carry out the method for determination of ethanol-soluble extractives (Appendix X A, the hot extraction method), using 70% ethanol as the solvent, not less than 45.0 per cent.
Assay
Carry out the method for high performance liquid chromatography (Appendix VI D).
Chromatographic system and system suitability Use octadecylsilane bonded silica gel as the stationary phase and a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.085% solution of phosphoric acid (17:83) as the mobile phase. As detector a spectrophotometer set at 316 nm, maintain the column temperature at 35℃. The number of theoretical plates of the column is not less than 5000, calculated with the reference to the peak of ferulic acid.
Reference solution Weigh accurately 10 mg of ferulic acid CRS, dissolve in 70% methanol in a 50 ml brown volumetric flask and dilute to volume. Measure accurately 3 ml in a 50 ml brown volumetric flask, dilute with 70% methanol to volume to produce a solution containing 12 μg per ml, and mix well.
Test solution Weigh accurately 0.2 g of the powder (through No.3 sieve) to a stopper conical flask, accurately add 20 ml of 70% methanol, stopper tightly and weigh. Heat under reflux for 30 minutes, cool and weigh again, replenish the loss of solvent with 70% methanol, mix well and stand. Filter the supernatant through the millipore (0.45μm), use the successive filtrate as the test solution.
Procedure Accurately inject 10 μl of each of the reference solution and the test solution, respectively, into the column, and calculate the content.
It contains not less than 0.050 per cent of ferulic acid (C10H10O4), calculated with reference to the dried drug.
Processing
Radix Angelicae Sinensis Eliminate foreign matter, wash clean, soften thoroughly, cut into thin slices, and dry in the sun or at a lower temperature.
Radix Angelicae Sinensis (stir-baked with wine) Stirbake the slices of Radix Angelicae Sinensis as described under the method for stir-barking with wine (Appendix II D) to dryness.
Subround or irregular slices, with brown rings in the cut surface. Texture flexible, deep yellow in colour, with burnt stains. Taste, sweet, slightly bitter; odour strongly aromatic and wine-like.
Action
To enrich blood, activate blood circulation, regulate menstruation, relieve pain, and relax bowels.
Indications
Anemia with dizziness and palpitation; menstrual disorders, amenorrhea, dysmenorrheal; constipation; rheumatic arthralgia; traumatic injuries; carbuncles, boils and sores.
Radix Angelicae Sinensis(stir-baked with wine) Amenorrhea, dysmenorrheal, rheumatic arthralgia, traumatic injuries.
Usage and dosages
6-12g
Storage
Preserve in a cool and dry place, protected from moisture and moth. |