Comparison of Hemoglobin Activity of Angelica gigas, Angelica sinensis and Angelica acutiloba roots

Objectives : Angelicae gigas, A. sinensis and A. acutiloba are three types of plants used as Angelicae Radix (Dang-Gui). Many doctors of Korean medicine want to know the difference in clinical use of these three species. This study aimed to compare the hemoglobin-related activity of the extracts of Angelicae gigas, A. sinensis and A. acutiloba roots by measuring the intensity of binding oxygen to hemoglobin using Raman spectroscopy. Methods : Hemoglobin activity was measured by chemical analysis and Raman spectroscopy to compare the pharmaceutical efficacy of three Angelica root extracts. The oxygenated hemoglobin intensity, blood decursinol and acetylcholinestrase(AChE) concentration in mice were measured. In addition, the effects of three Angelica root extracts on oxygenated hemoglobin intensity, decursinol and AChE concentration in red blood cells (RBC) from human were also investigated. Results : The contents of decursin, decursinol and decursinol angelate, which affected physiological activity and RBC properties, were higher in the extract of A. gigas root than in those of A. sinensis and A. acutiloba roots. Moreover, oxygenated hemoglobin intensity in the A. gigas extract was higher than that of other two species in the blood of mice and human RBCs. Also, the blood decursinol and AChE concentrations of A. gigas root extract were higher than that of A. sinensis and A. acutiloba roots. Conclusions : These results suggest that A. gigas is more effective in treating disease related oxygen deficiency in RBC deformation under oxidative stress.1)