The sulfur-fumigation reduces chemical composition and biological properties of Angelicae sinensis radix
2014
Zhan, Janis Ya-Xian | Yao, Ping | Bi, Cathy Wen-Chuan | Zheng, Ken Yu-zhong | Zhang, Wendy Li | Chen, J. P. (Jian-ping) | Dong, Tina Ting-Xia | Su, Zi-Ren | Tsim, Karl Wah-Keung
Angelica Sinensis Radix (roots of Angelica sinensis; ASR) is a popular herbal supplement in China for promoting blood circulation. Today, sulfur-fumigation is commonly used to treat ASR as a means of pest control; however, the studies of sulfur-fumigation on the safety and efficacy of ASR are very limited. Here, we elucidated the destructive roles of sulfur-fumigation on ASR by chemical and biological assessments. After sulfur-fumigation, the chemicals in ASR were significantly lost. The biological activities of anti-platelet aggregation, induction of NO production and estrogenic properties were compared between the water extracts of non-fumigated and sulfur-fumigated ASR. In all cases, the sulfur-fumigation significantly reduced the biological properties of ASR. In addition, application of water extract deriving from sulfur-fumigated ASR showed toxicity to cultured MCF-7 cells. In order to ensure the safety and to achieve the best therapeutic effect, it is recommended that sulfur-fumigation is an unacceptable approach for processing herbal materials.
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