Research development on volatile oil from chuanxiong rhizoma

Chuanxiong Rhizoma, as an authentic herbal medicine of Sichuan province, is one of the main plant sources of Umbelliferae rhizoma which has been used to treat headache, rheumatic arthralgia and coronary heart diseases. The current review covers its chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetic and combination therapy. The phytochemistry of Chuanxiong Rhizoma has been studied extensively in recent decades with many investigations that focused on tetramethylpyrazine and ferulic acid that is considered as active components of Chuanxiong Rhizoma. However, the quantities of tetramethylpyrazine and ferulic acid in Chuanxiong Rhizoma are lower when compared with volatile oil accounting for a considerable proportion of it. Senkyunolide A and ligustilide belong to volatile oil and have been reported as main active components of Chuanxiong Rhizoma. Pharmacokinetic studies are important for the application to understand the therapeutic and toxicity of the Chinese traditional medicine, although numerous animal studies have demonstrated the pharmacokinetic process of volatile oil; few clinical trials are conducted. Therefore, large randomized clinical trials and further scientific researches to determine its mechanism of actions will be necessary to ensure the safety, effect and better understanding of its action. Key words: Chuanxiong Rhizoma, volatile oil, chemical study, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics.