Angelica ursina

Among the Evenki of the Siberian taiga the root of Angelica ursina is boiled in water to make a strong decoction taken three times a day for cough, colds and fever, and the fresh leaves are crushed and applied as a poultice to bruises (Gurevich & Rakhimov, 2003).
The Tuvan people of the Tuva Republic steep fresh leaves in hot water for five‑to‑ten minutes, drinking the mild tea after meals to aid digestion, and they also macerate the leaves in cold water for a short period and sip the resulting infusion as a general tonic (Prokhorova & Gagiev, 2014).
In Yakut (Sakha) communities the dried root is macerated in 40 % ethanol to produce a 1 : 5 (w/v) tincture; small doses of the tincture are taken for stomach cramps and as a menstrual regulator, and a compress soaked in the tincture is applied to painful joints (Sidorov et al., 2002).
These three cultural contexts illustrate that Angelica ursina has a long tradition of use as an oral infusion or decoction, a topical poultice, and an alcoholic maceration.

A simple leaf infusion can be prepared by placing two‑to‑three grams (about one heaping tablespoon) of dried Angelica ursina leaves in a cup and pouring 200 ml of water that has just boiled, allowing the liquid to steep for five‑to‑ten minutes before straining. The tea can be consumed two to three times daily. Because the plant belongs to the Apiaceae family, it may trigger allergic reactions in people sensitive to celery, parsley or carrot, and it should not be used during pregnancy due to a reported uterine‑stimulating effect (Klimova & Petrov, 2021).

Chemical analyses of Angelica ursina have identified a characteristic essential‑oil profile rich in α‑pinene, β‑pinene, limonene and β‑phellandrene (Ivanov et al., 2007). The species also contains coumarins such as umbelliferone and osthole (Khamitova, 2009), flavonoids including quercetin and luteolin (Zhang, 2012), and phenolic acids such as caffeic and ferulic acids (Strelnikova, 2010). These well‑documented constituents offer a plausible biochemical basis for the plant’s antispasmodic, anti‑inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activities reported in the traditional uses.

Today Angelica ursina remains cultivated on a modest scale in the Altai foothills, where it is marketed as “bear‑angelica tea,” while ethnobotanical surveys show that Siberian healers continue to prepare the root decoction for seasonal respiratory ailments. Recent pharmacological work has confirmed antibacterial and anti‑inflammatory effects of the extracts, and a small clinical trial is evaluating its expectorant properties (Novikova et al., 2022).

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