The crude drug Toki used in Japan is classified largely into "Yamato Toki" and "Hokkai Toki", which are prepared from the roots of Angelica acutiloba var. acutiloba KITAGAWA and A. acutiloba KITAGAWA var. vugiyamae HIKINO, respectively. Anti-nociceptive effect of these crude drugs of Toki was assayed by the acetic acid-induced writhing test on mice. The results of the experiments have shown that the aqueous extract of Yamato Toki was about 3 times as effective as that of Hokkai Toki. The anti-nociceptive effect of the root extracts prepared from different varieties of Toki cultivated under similar conditions in the field at Kyoto were also tested by the same method. The aqueous extract of "Ibuki Toki" (A. acutiloba var. iwatensis HIKINO) was found to be as effective as that of Yamato Toki. A quantitative analysis on choline, which is known as one of the anti-nociceptive principles in the Toki extract, has indicated that the aqueous root extract of Ibuki Toki contains more choline than those of other Japanese varieties of Toki. In comparison with the Japanese varieties, the data obtained from "Kara Toki" (A. sinensis DIELS) and "Kankoku Toki" (A. gigas NAKAI) are also presented regarding anti-nociceptive activity and choline content.
