Re: Regardless of name, it is great stuff

Dong quai does seem to go by other names also. Below is some more information I found on this wonderful herb.

DANG GUI
Dong Quai
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Angelica
Species: sinensis
Common Name: Dong Quai, Dang Gui
Ethnic Names: Dan Gui, Tang-Kuei
Properties/Actions: Analgesic, Tonic, Sedative, Laxative, Estrogenic, Antibiotic

Phytochemicals Include: Alpha-pinene, Aluminum, Arachidonic-acid, Ascorbic-acid, Ash, Bergapten, Beta-carotene, Beta-sitosterol, Beta-sitosterol-glucoside, Biotin, Cadinene, Calcium, Carbohydrates, Carvacrol, Choline, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, EO, Falcarindiol, Falcarinol, Falcarinone, Ferulic-acid, Folacin, Folinic-acid, Fructose, Glucose, Iron, Isosafrole, Ligustilide, Linoleic-acid, Magnesium, Manganese, Myristic-acid, N-butylidenphthalide, N-butylphthalide, N-dodecanol, N-valero-phenone-o-carbonic-acid, N-valerophenone-o-carboxylic-acid, Nico-tinamide, Nicotinic-acid, Oleic-acid, P-cymene, Palmitic-acid, Pantothenic- acid, Phosphorus, Phthalides, Potassium, Protein, Riboflavin, Safrole, Scopoletin, Sedanoic-acid, Selenium, Sesquiterpene, Silicon, Sodium, Stearic-acid, Thiamin, Tin Umbelliferone, Vanilic-acid, Vit-B12, Vit-E, Zinc




Country ETHNOBOTANY: WORLDWIDE USES

Elsewhere Viricide
China Amenorrhea, Anemia, Constipation, Dysmenorrhea, Menoxenia, Thrombosis (Venous), Tranquilizer, Uterotonic, Cancer(Cervix), Cancer (Esophagus), Tumor(Lung), Tumor(Nose)




REFERENCED QUOTES ON DANG GUI
2. "Dong quai has been called the "female ginseng" and is excellent as an all purpose women's herb. It has been used for centuries in China for regulating the menstrual cycle and easing menstrual pain and cramping. It can be used to help women regain normal menstrual cycles after taking "the Pill." It has proven helpful for relieving hot flashes during menopause. Dong quai can be used for insomnia and blood pressure stability for both men and women. (The affect on blood pressure can be an overall lowering although sometimes it may rise slightly first, followed by a decline). It can reduce PMS and may help anemia, suppressed menstrual flow, uterine bleeding, abdominal pain after childbirth, dry intestines, chronic pelvic disorders and constipation and headaches due to blood deficiency. Dong quai helps the liver utilize more oxygen and therefore can be useful in treating hepatitis and cirrhosis. It may also help with abnormal protein metabolism. Dong quai helps dilate peripheral blood vessels, increase circulation, and has been used as a mild laxative.
PRECAUTION: Not to be used during pregnancy."
5. "Used in the treatment of female problems such as hot flashes, menopause, PMS, and vaginal dryness. Increases the effect of ovarian/testicular hormones."

6. "The root, dang gui [Angelica sinensis], is valuable in anemia and menstrual pain, or as a general tonic after childbirth. It clears liver stagnation (of both energy and toxins) and can relieve constipation, especially in the elderly."

9. "Botanical name: Angelica sinensis.
Pharmaceutical name: Radix Angelicae Sinensis
Properties: sweet, acrid, bitter, warm.
Channels entered: Heart, Liver, Spleen
Functions and clinical use: Tonifies the Blood and regulates the menses: used for Deficient Blood patterns with such symptoms as a pale ashen face, tinnitus, blurred vision, and palpitations. Used also for Deficient Blood patterns with menstrual problems such as irregular menstruation, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, etc. Invigorates and harmonizes the Blood: an important herb used to stop pain from Congealed Blood. Commonly used for abdominal pain, traumatic injuries, and carbuncles from Congealed Blood. Used also in the treatment of Deficient Blood with chronic Wind Damp Painful Obstruction. Moistens the Intestines and moves stool: used for Dry Intestines from Deficient Blood.
Cautions and contraindications: Use cautiously in diarrhea or cases of abdominal distension due to Damp Obstruction.
Pharmacological and clinical research: Effect on the uterus: as long ago as the 1920s, decoctions of Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui) on the uterus was the object of research. At that time it was shown to have a contractile effect when given intravenously to anesthetized dogs and rabbits. The exact mechanism or ingredient that is responsible for this effect has not been elucidated, but it does cause contractions in in situ uteri and relaxation in uterus specimens. In some studies using direct measurement of the myometrium, administration of Radix Angelicae Sinensis (Dang Gui) enabled the contractions of the uterus to be more orderly. In the opinion of some researchers, this may be the mechanism underlying its effectiveness in treating dysmenorrhea. The herb does not appear to have any estrogenic effect.

13. "For several thousand years. Dong quai has been cultivated for medicinal uses in the treatment of a wide variety of disorders, in particular "female disorders". It is often referred to as "female ginseng.". In Asia, angelica's reputation is perhaps second only to that of ginseng. Predominantly, regarded as a "female" remedy, angelica has been use to treat such conditions as dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), menorrhagia (abnormal menstruation, menopausal symptoms (especially hot flashes), and to assure a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery. Angelica is also used in the treatment of abdominal pain, anemia, injuries, arthritis, migraine headache, and many other conditions. Some of the pharmacological activities demonstrated include phytoestrogen activity, analgesic activity, immunomodulating activity and antibacterial activity."

14. "Next to Panax ginseng, the root of dong quai is undoubtedly the most honored and respected herb in China, and is quickly gaining an equal reputation among users in the rest of the world.. Dong quai is used medicinally as a tonic, cardiotonic, respiratory tonic and liver tonic. It is used to promote circulation, to regulate the menstrual cycle and stop discomforts of menstruation. That means it's good for PMS. In Western herbal terms, it is used for dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), metrorrhagia (too much menstruation) and amenorrhea (too little, or no, menstruation). Dong quai is also often recommended during pregnancy to ease delivery, reduce pain and discomfort and eliminate complications as much as possible. Most of the actions of dong quai depend on the presence of coumarins, phytosterols, polysaccharides, and flavonoids.
Dong quai contains estrogenic substances that may exert some regulating effect on estrogen levels and on estrogenic biological mechanisms. They seem to enhance estrogenic effects when estrogen levels are too low, and compete when levels are too high. This would be in keeping with the idea of a menstrual tonic. It is doubtful if dong quai has any direct estrogenic effects.
Substantial pharmacological research has validated these properties in dong quai. Anticramping, hypotensive, tonic, antiasthmatic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic properties in the root have all been demonstrated by basic research. It has also been shown to be effective against several strains of microorganisms, especially fungi such as Candida albicans, the primary causative agent in vaginal yeast infections. This constellation of properties would help explain the plant's sometimes dramatic effect on the PMS symptoms."
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