Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei)

Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei), a perennial herb native to Japan’s mountainous regions, belongs to the Apiaceae family. Its young shoots and leaves have been used for centuries as a culinary and medicinal plant, and modern supplements aim to harness its rich phytochemical profile—particularly chalcones—to support cellular health and metabolic resilience.

The most studied constituent is keisin (4‑hydroxy‑6‑methoxy‑2‑(3‑hydroxy‑4‑methoxyphenyl)‑1‑phenyl‑but‑1‑en‑3‑one), a chalcone with molecular formula C₁₅H₁₂O₄ (M ≈ 244 g mol⁻¹). Its IUPAC name: 3‑(4‑hydroxy‑3‑methoxyphenyl)‑1‑(4‑hydroxy‑2‑methoxyphenyl)prop‑2‑en‑1‑one. Key features: an α,β‑unsaturated carbonyl (Michael acceptor) and two phenolic rings providing antioxidant capacity. Other phytochemicals include coumarins (e.g., umbelliferone), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol), and vitamin C. The chalcone scaffold is planar, enabling interaction with cysteine residues of Keap‑1, while the phenolic hydroxyls confer radical‑scavenging properties. The plant also contains essential oils (e.g., α‑pinene) and mineral content (potassium, calcium).

Angelica keiskei is cultivated primarily in Japan’s Nagano and Miyazaki prefectures, where the plant is harvested in spring when young shoots are tender. Commercial supplements typically use either:

• Whole‑plant dried powder – harvested, washed, freeze‑dried, and milled to a fine powder.
• Standardized extract – ethanol or 70 % ethanol‐water extraction, followed by vacuum‑evaporation and spray‑drying to yield a 5–15 % chalcone‑standardized powder.

Quality measures include: HPLC quantification of keisin, absence of heavy metals (<10 ppm lead, cadmium), microbial limits (<10⁴ CFU/g), and verification of botanical identity via DNA barcoding. Organic cultivation and GMP‑certified processing minimize pesticide residues and preserve the phytochemical profile.