Ligustilide is a natural chemical compound of the dihydrophthalide class. Ligustilide is found in the highest concentration inwild celeries (Apium graveolens).[1][2] It has also been found inAngelica sinensis and a variety of other plants includingTodaroa montana.[2]
Because of the traditional use ofAngelica sinesis in herbal medicine, particularlytraditional Chinese medicine where it is known asdong quai, there has been interest in identifying chemical compounds responsible for its putative pharmacological effects. Ligustilide is typically identified as the principal bioactive component.[3] A variety ofin vitro effects of ligustilide have been reported, including antiinflammatory and neuroprotective effects.[4] However, because of the chemical instability of ligustilide, the relevance of these studies to any effects in humans is uncertain.[5]
Ligustilide is a volatile compound, found in the essential oil of various herb roots.[6] The oil is obtained by distillation or supercritical CO2 extraction of the dried root. In one report, total (Z)-ligustilide content inAngelica acutiloba root samples ranged from 0.08% to 0.22%.[7] In an other report, ligustilide was not mentioned as a component in hydrodistilled essential oil ofAngelica archangelica root from Serbia.[8] When dried whole root is used, as in traditional Chinese medicine, the pharmacological effect may be ascribed to a range of components, includingpolysaccharides.[9]
^Aćimović, Milica G.; Pavlović, Snežana Đ.; Varga, Ana O.; Filipović, Vladimir M.; Cvetković, Mirjana T.; Stanković, Jovana M.; Čabarkapa, Ivana S. (2017). "Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity ofAngelica archangelica Root Essential Oil".Natural Product Communications.12 (2):205–206.doi:10.1177/1934578X1701200216.PMID30428212.
