Angelica

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

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Last updated on: 27.03.2025

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Synonym(s)

Ammoidin; angelica; Angelica archangelica; Archangel Root; Medicinal angelica; officinal archangel

Definition
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Angelica archangelica, also known as medicinal angelica or angelica, is a plant species in the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae). It is widespread in temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere. It is cultivated in Thuringia, Saxony and northern Bavaria, among other places.

Angelica is a deciduous, two to four-year-old plant that only flowers once. It reaches growth heights of 1.2 to 3 meters. Angelica has a thick rhizome, which is turnip-shaped in wild plants. The upright stem is round at the base, hollow on the inside and branched at the top. The toothed leaves of the plant are long-stalked, two to three-pinnate and often 60 to 90 cm long.

The terminal double corymbose inflorescences contain numerous greenish-white to yellowish flowers with hairy stems. The flowering period is from June to August. The yellow split fruit is 5 to 8 mm long and has an elliptical shape. The fruits are used to flavor wormwood wine, gin and Chartreuse, the oil from the roots and seeds for herbal liqueurs and bitter spirits such as Boonekamp, Bénédictine and Chartreuse, candied stems as a sweet and as a decoration for baked goods. Angelica is also an ingredient in Schneeberg snuff.

The dried rhizome and the dried roots (angelica root - Angelicae radix) are used phytotherapeutically.

Note(s)
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Angelica archangelica is the parent plant of Angelicae radix of the official preparation from the root of the plant.

Angelica archangelica contains various photosensitizing coumarin derivatives such as: xanthotoxin (ammoidin) and xanthotoxol, the demethylated form of xanthotoxol.

Literature
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  1. de Oliveira DM et al. (2016)The classical photoactivated drug 8-methoxypsoralen and related compounds are effective without UV light irradiation against glioma cells. Neurochem Int 99:33-41.
  2. Learn DB et al.(2016) Clinical Observations versus Histopathological Findings. Toxicol Pathol 44:545-551.
  3. Roth L et al (1984) Plant toxins- Xanthotoxin. In: Roth L et al. (Eds)Poisonous plants, plant allergy. Nikol Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Hamburg p 954
  4. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/angelica.php
  5. https://pflanzen.fnr.de/industriepflanzen/arzneipflanzen/pflanzen-datenbank
  6. Blaschek W (2015) Wichtl tea drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practitioners. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft Munich. S 75-77
  7. https://www.awl.ch/heilpflanzen/angelica_archangelica/engelwurz.htm

Outgoing links (1)

Angelicae radix;