• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.175-179
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• 2010

The present study aimed to assess the antifungal properties of the essential oil fraction from Ligusticum chuanxiong (Umbelliferae) and its components against five clinically important Aspergillus species. The essential oil fraction was extracted from the underground parts of the plant by steam distillation, and its main components, namely, Z-ligustilide, butylidene phthalide, and p-cresol were isolated by column chromatography. The antifungal activities of the essential oils were evaluated by the broth dilution method. Both the total essential oil fraction of L. chuanxiong and its components showed significant anti-Aspergillus activity against all five tested strains with MICs between 62.5 and 250 ${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. In a checkerboard microtiter assay, the combination of antibiotics, itraconazole with the essential oil fraction of L. chuanxiong or its main components exhibited synergistic or additive, and in some cases indifferent, effects against the tested Aspergillus species, resulting in FICIs (fractional inhibiting concentration indices) ranging from 0.12 to 2, while the combination of antibiotics, amphothericin B with L. chuanxiong essential oils mostly showed antagonistic effects.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.86-94
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• 2002

Ligusticum Chuanxiong and its components were reviewed in terms of pharmacodynamic mechanisms. Three components of about 40 chemical components in Chuanxiong tetramethylpyrazine, ferulinolol and Butylidenephthalide have mainly been studied for its pharmacodynamic mechanisms which are focused on the increase in blood flow and anti-oxidative stress. The mechanisms for the effects of Chuanxiong on the increase in blood flow can be summarized as four ways, 1) anti-coagulation 2) blocker of ${\beta}1$ adrenergic receptor 3) cellular control of Ca++ level 4) collagen synthesis. Chuanxiong also showed the effectiveness on free radical-induced injury. It seems that its effectiveness is also related to the mechanisms for the increase in blood flow.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.101-108
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• 2007

Objectives : To compare the anti-oxidant effects of Ligusticum chuanxiang and Cnidium officinale extracts and their mixture with Angelica gigas, we investigated the anti-oxidative activities using rat liver tissues. Methods : We investigated the anti-oxidative activities by analysis of lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase activity, aldehyde oxidase activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, superoxide dismutase activity and catalase activity in rat liver tissues. Results : Both Ligusticum chuanxing and Cnidium offieinale inhibited the lipid peroxidation compared to the control, there is no significant differences between two groups. Cnidium officinale showed strong inhibitory effects on xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase activities compared with that of Ligusticum chuanxing. Ligusticum chuanxing and Cnidium officinale were scavenged the hydroxy radicals, and increased SOD and catalase activities. These results suggested that Ligusticum chuanxing and Cnidium officinale were showed antioxidant activity, especially Cnidium officinale showed higher activity than Ligusticum chuanxing. Conclusions: These results suggest that Ligusticum chuanxing could be replaced by Cmdium afficinale in clinical trial.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.398-403
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• 2011

Ligusticum chuanxiong (Umbelliferae) is a perennial herb that has been used for invigoration of blood in Korean traditional medicine. It is especially important in gynecological therapy of amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea. In this study, the essential oil of L. chuanxiong was obtained by steam distillation and its main components of L. chuanxiong, Z-ligustilide and butylidene phthalide, were isolated by silica gel column chromatography. We investigated the cytotoxic effects of the essential oil fraction of L. chuanxiong and its main components on MCF-7, HeLa and SK-Hep-1 cell lines by measuring the number of surviving cancer cells after treatment through direct cell counting and MTT analysis, and by examining the morphological changes under the microscope. The essential oil from the rhizomes of L. chuanxiong and its main components showed significant cytotoxic activities for all three tested cell lines. We also observed morphological changes of shrinking and blebbing in the membranes of the three cell lines, depending on the concentration of L. chaunxiong oil or its main components.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.259-264
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• 2010

The essential oil fraction was obtained from the underground parts o of Ligusticum chuanxiong (Umbelliferae) by steam distillation, and its main components, Z-ligustilide and butylidene phthalide, were isolated by column chromatography. Its essential oil fraction and the isolated main components were examined for effects on their anti-inflammatory properties in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells to develop a new natural anti-inflammatory drug. The results showed that the L. chuanxiong essential oil fraction and its main components, Z-ligustilide and butylidene phthalide, inhibited the production of nitric oxide significantly in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. LPS-induced interleukin-$1{\beta}$ (IL-$1{\beta}$), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-$\alpha$) production was also decreased in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, western blot analysis revealed that the L. chuanxiong essential oil fraction and also its main components, Z-ligustilide, and butylidene phthalide reduced the expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.876-886
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• 2023

In some cases of head and neck cancers (HNC), surgical interventions may result in the loss of organs and/or changes to their functions, thereby significantly affecting the patient's quality of life. As a result, the surgical treatment of HNC patients is often limited to specific cases, and alternative treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy, are considered. However, serious adverse effects caused by chemotherapy, such as severe nausea and vomiting, necessitate the need for the development of adjunctive methods to minimize patient suffering. Chuanxiong, Ligusticum chuanxiong (L. chuanxiong), is a natural herb used in Eastern medicine to treat cerebrovascular disorders and headaches. This study aimed to predict the effect and potential of L. chuanxiong as an auxiliary anticancer drug through network-based pharmacology and molecular docking analysis. The study results showed that 40 out of 41 genes of L. chuanxiong shared common targets of HNC and their proteins could be used to target HNC cells to prevent cancer progression. The results of the functional enrichment analysis confirmed that L. chuanxiong is associated with the neuroactive-ligand metabolism and neurotransmitter pathways, indicating its potential medicinal value as an adjuvant in HNC treatment. Lastly, our findings demonstrated that the active ingredient of L. chuanxiong, (Z)-Ligustilide, has the ATP binding site of heat shock protein 90, a protein known to promote the activation of cancer cells. These results suggest that L. chuanxiong is a promising candidate for developing auxiliary anticancer drugs, and further research could potentially lead to the discovery of newer and safer anti-cancer agents.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 1998

Chemical components of domestic Ligusticum chuanxiong HORT and Cnidium officinale MAKINO were analyzed. Proximate analysis of each species showed crude protein 18.5% and 11.1%, crude lipid 5.9% and 6.2%, crude fiber 6.4% and 6.5%, crude ash 5.4% and 6.0%, and carbohydrate 63.7% and 70.2%, respectively. Contents of potassium which was found to be the most abundant mineral in both species were 1.8% and 3.0%, and those of sucrose were 0.4% and 0.3% respectively while neither fructose nor glucose were detected in each species. Major fatty acids in Ligusticum chuanxiong HORT and Cnidium officinale MAKINO were linoleic acid (60.7% and 61.2%), oleic acid (19.9% and 21.3%), palmitic acid (11.4% and 11.3%)(respectively) but there was no significant difference between two species. Glutamic acid was revealed as the most abandant amino acid in both species with 2.5% in Ligusticum chuanxiong HORT and 1.6% in Cnidium officinale MAKINO. Ligusticum chuanxiong HORT and Cnidium officinale MAKINO also were shown to be contained 0.0009% and 0.0005% vitamin $B_1$, and 0.6% and 0.7% tannin, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.419-427
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• 2020

Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. is included in Umbelliferae family, it is one of the Korean traditional medicinal plants as the roots have been used to treat diseases. In this study, the growth characteristics and active compound contents of L. chuanxiong were compared among the different forest sites. As a result, root diameter and root length of L. chuanxiong was the highest in Jeongseon. Also, the fresh weight and dry weight of L. chuanxiong were the highest in Jeongseon. The total content of active compound was 23.27 mg/g the highest in Bonghwa, and 21.59 mg/g in Jeongseon, 15.87 mg/g in Hamyang was accumulated. In this study compares three forest site for cultivating of L. chuanxiong in different climate zone that the best site to product yield were Jeongseon. In this sites were located in higher altitue and lower temperature than other sites, also there were shown that lower soil moisture contents and well-drained soil. It was shown yield and active compound contents of L. chuanxiong was influenced by micro-environment conditions like as altitude, temperature, soil conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 1995.05a
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• pp.12-13
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• 1995

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.209-213
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• 2004

Ligusticum chuanxiong is receiving much attentions as one of the important medicinal crops with the increasement of the crude drug demands. This study was conducted to obtain the basic informations of breeding of Ligusticum chuanxiong. Embryological characteristics were examined to elucidate the process of male and female gametophytic development and fertilization. Meiosis and nucleus division of megaspore and microspore were proceeded normally. With regard to the formation of female gametophyte, only a half of female gametophyte developed to normal egg apparatus. While another 50% showed abnormal egg apparatus with poly-nuclei or non-nuclei ovule. The pollens developed from the micros pore were formed more than 90 % of normal pollen. It was difficult to observe fertilization because ovule tissue was very compact and cell was extremely tiny, but could be easely observed proembryo and embryo formation. Only 30 percent developed into proembryo and subsequently into embryo, and the others were degenerated.