Essential oil of <i>Angelica sinensis</i>: A review of its extraction processes, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, potential drug delivery systems, and applications

Essential oils have long been integral to various traditional healing systems for their medicinal properties, frequently preferred over chemical drugs due to chemical drugs reported adverse effects. Consequently, diverse plant sources have been explored for essential oil extraction. The essential oil of Angelica sinensis (EOAS) contributes significantly to its medicinal properties and is a critical quality control marker for its assessment. EOAS finds application in personal care products, perfumery, pharmaceuticals and food additives. A comprehensive literature search was performed using databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Bentham. Keywords such as essential oil, EOAS and A. sinensis were employed to retrieve literature detailing therapeutic mechanisms and applications of herbal preparations. This review systematically outlines the pharmacological effects of EOAS on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, central nervous system (CNS), antioxidant properties, inflammation, and sedation. It details its roles in analgesia, antimicrobial activity, and asthma management. This manuscript further summarizes the drug delivery system, potential applications, extraction process, toxicity, contraindications, and chemical composition of EOAS. It critically assesses the limitations of current research in this field. EOAS exerts pharmacological effects in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, CNS diseases, inflammation, analgesia and sedation by improving microcirculation, scavenging ROS, activating endogenous antioxidants, activating Nrf2/ARE pathways, and enhancing endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity. It exerts a multimodal analgesic effect by inhibiting TRPV1 channel desensitization and modulating μ-opioid receptor activity in detail. In terms of antibacterial, EOAS can reduce fungal lipid and alginate content and change cell membrane permeability. In addition, he lowers IL-4 levels while increasing IL-10 and stabilizing T cells to alleviate asthma symptoms. This manuscript further summarizes Potential applications for EOAS such as β-cyclodextrin inclusion complexes, liposomes, etc. This manuscript further summarizes potential applications of EOAS, such as β-cyclodextrin complexes, liposomes, and others. We cover how to remove EOAS steam distillation, organic solvent extraction, and more. In addition, adverse reactions such as gastrointestinal discomfort and strong irritation can be present in EOAS applications. Its potential applications in baked goods, food packaging, insect repellents, crop fungicides.We also cover the main chemical constituents of EOAS such as ligustrum, n-butylbenzelene, β-occiene, etc. This comprehensive review underscores the potential of EOAS as a natural and effective treatment for cardiovascular diseases, fungal infections, and inflammation. It advocates utilizing EOAS as a prospective raw material in developing new health-promoting products, such as green natural foods and food preservation packaging.