Aralia elata is an edible mountain vegetable. Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is a process involving migration, proliferation and cell differentiation, as well as the formation of new capillary structures. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) plays an important role in angiogenesis. The development of a functional vascular system requires a variety of growth factors, their receptors, and intracellular signals. This study examines the effects of water extracts from: (i) A. elata root bark (Aralia extracts); (ii) a combination of Aralia extracts and fibroblast growth factors (FGF-2) on cultured porcine coronary artery endothelial cells (PCAECs). Aralia extracts induced the migration of PCAECs, which was inhibited by MMPs inhibitors. Combining Aralia extracts and FGF-2 enhanced the migration and the secretion of MMP-2 and MMP­9 from PCAECs. We postulated that the Aralia extracts, which induced migrating activity in PCAECs, may be accomplished by increased secretion levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9.