Researchers study the anti-inflammatory properties of garden angelica essential oil

Garden angelica, scientifically known as Angelica archangelica, is an herbal plant used in traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean medicine. According to a new study, the essential oil extracted from this plant can be used as a natural remedy for fighting inflammation.

The study, published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, looked at the ability of garden angelica essential oil to fight inflammation using a cell model. For the study, a team of researchers from Italy treated cells with lipopolysaccharides to induce inflammation. After that, the Italian research team treated cells with garden angelica essential oil in various doses to test its anti-inflammatory potential.

Based on the results of the experiment, treatment with garden angelica essential oil led to the death of toxic cells and induced necrosis. In addition, garden angelica essential oil reduced the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells — which contributed to the reduction of inflammation. Moreover, the treatment reduced inflammation in endothelial and intestinal epithelial cells.

From these findings, the Italian research team concludes that garden angelica essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore, may be used as a natural remedy to fight against inflammation.

More on garden angelica

A biennial plant from the Apiaceae family, garden angelica is said to be native to Syria, and later cultivated in Asia, the U.S., and Europe. It is commonly used in perfumery because of its aroma. In traditional medicine, it is used for the treatment of various conditions, such as gastric secretion, skin problems, flatulence, and rheumatism. (Related: Angelica may be good for men, but it is truly beneficial to women’s health.)

There are also scientific studies available that explored the plant’s medicinal potential. Here are some of the benefits of garden angelica:

• Garden angelica may treat anxiety and depression: In an animal study, the extract of garden angelica exhibited anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects. Garden angelica extract increased the climbing time and swimming time of mice, and reduced their immobility time. This supports the use of garden angelica in traditional Indian medicine as a natural remedy for anxiety. Another study, which was published in the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, revealed that garden angelica can potentially reduce anxiety. This may be attributed to its coumarins imperatorin and isoimperatorin.
• Garden angelica may inhibit tumor growth: A study looked at the effect of garden angelica leaf extract on the growth of mouse breast cancer cells. Researchers found that the leaf extract inhibited tumor growth.
• Garden angelica may protect the liver from damage: In a study published in the journal Pharmacology, researchers examined the effects of garden angelica on alcohol-induced liver damage in a mouse model. Results showed that treatment with garden angelica protected the mice’s liver against liver damage. This may be due to its ability to inhibit the production of free radicals that cause lipid peroxidation, which indirectly protects the liver from oxidative stress.
• Garden angelica may be used as a remedy for seizures: Garden angelica essential oil was tested against electrically- and chemically-induced seizures in a study published in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. In the study, garden angelica essential oil exhibited antiseizure effect, which may be attributed to its terpenes.

Read more news stories and studies on the health benefits of essential oils from plants like garden angelica by going to EssentialOils.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

MedicalHealthGuide.com