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RIFM Monograph : Angelica Root Oil 1 Photo-toxic effects were reported for undiluted angelica root oil by
Urbach F. & Forbes P.D.(1974) in a report to RIFM. The above monograph
indicates the oil was prepared by steam distillation of the slender rootlets of Angelica
archangelica L.
If the RIFM findings identified above can be substantiated, any photo-toxic effects from the steam distilled root oil will not be due to furano-coumarins. Karrer W. (1958) 3 reports that the furano-coumarins in the whole angelica plant include bergapten, 4-methoxy-psoralen, xanthotoxol and xanthotoxin, amongst others.
Since furano-coumarins are not steam-volatile, they should not be present in a genuine steam-distilled angelica root oil. They may be present in solvent extracts however. Many authors have implausibly reported that furano-coumarins are responcible for the photo-toxic effects in angelica root oil e.g. R. Tisserand & T. Balacs (1995) 2 note that angelica root oil is strongly photo-toxic due to furano-coumarins (present at 1-3%).
Burfield T. & Sheppard-Hanger S. (2002) further discuss the question of botanical origin and processing of angelica oils with respect to toxicity issues identified above, in their monograph series (see elsewhere on this website).
The lesson here is that if you are buying directly from an essential oil distiller, he/she may have more idea of the exact details of the origin than traders or repackers of commercially available essential oils.
References
1 D.L.J. Opdyke (1975) FCT 13 (Suppl), 713.
2 R. Tisserand & T. Balacs (1995) “Essential Oil Safety” pub Churchill Livinstone p 116.
3 Karrer W. (1958) “Konstitution und Vorkommen der organischen Pflanzenstoffe (exclusive Alkaloide)” pub Birkhäuser Velag. Basel, Switzerland.
Copyright © 2002 by Tony Burfield. All Rights Reserved.