Actaea racemosa

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Actaea racemosa
Inflorescence

Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Actaea
Species:
A. racemosa
Binomial name
Actaea racemosa
Synonyms[1]
Synonymy
  • Cimicifuga repens (L) Nutt
  • Cimicifuga americana Muhl
  • Actaea gyrostachya Wender
  • Actaea monogyna Walter
  • Actaea orthostachya Wender
  • Botrophis actaeoides Raf ex Fisch & CA Mey
  • Botrophis pumila Raf
  • Botrophis serpentaria Raf

Actaea racemosa, the black cohosh, black bugbane, black snakeroot, rattle-top, or fairy candle (

herbal medicines or dietary supplements. Most dietary supplements containing black cohosh are not well-studied or recommended for safe and effective use in treating menopause symptoms or any disease.[2] In contrast, some herbal medicinal products containing black cohosh extract hold a marketing authorization in several states of the European Union and are well-studied and recommended for safe and effective use for the relief of menopausal symptoms (i.e. in the years around menopause) such as hot flushes and profuse sweating attacks.[3] Such differentiation between the product types seems to be important.[4][5][6]

Taxonomy

The plant

Caulophyllum thalictroides), despite its similar common name belongs to another family, the Berberidaceae, is not closely related to black cohosh, and may be unsafe if used together.[8]

Description

Black cohosh is a smooth (glabrous)

compound leaves from an underground rhizome, reaching a height of 25–60 cm (9.8–23.6 in).[9][10] The basal leaves
are up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long and broad, forming repeated sets of three leaflets (tripinnately compound) having a coarsely toothed (serrated) margin.

The flowers are produced in late spring and early summer on a tall stem, 75–250 cm (30–98 in) tall, forming racemes up to 50 cm (20 in) long. The flowers have no petals or sepals, and consist of tight clusters of 55–110 white, 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long stamens surrounding a white stigma. The flowers have a distinctly sweet, fetid smell that attracts flies, gnats, and beetles.[9]

The

carpel, containing several seeds.[7]

  • Leaves
    Leaves
  • Budding plants in cultivation
    Budding plants in cultivation
  • Close-up of the flower
    Close-up of the flower
  • Mature plant
    Mature plant

Cultivation

A. racemosa grows in dependably moist, fairly heavy soil. It bears tall tapering racemes of white midsummer flowers on wiry black-purple stems, whose mildly unpleasant, medicinal smell at close range gives it the common name "Bugbane". The drying seed heads stay handsome in the garden for many weeks. Its deeply cut, superficially maple-like leaves, burgundy colored in the variety "atropurpurea",[11] add interest to gardens, wherever summer heat and drought do not make it die back, which make it a popular garden perennial. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[12]

The plant was Virginia Native Plant Society’s 2017 wildflower of the year.[13]

Traditional medicine

History

Native Americans used black cohosh in the belief it could treat gynecological and other disorders.[2][10][14] Following the arrival of European settlers in the U.S. who continued the use of black cohosh, the plant appeared in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia under the name "black snakeroot".[2] In the 19th century, the root was used to treat snakebite, inflamed lungs, and pain from childbirth.[15]

Herbalism

Extracts from the underground parts of the plant — the rhizome (Cimicifugae racemosae rhizoma) and the root (Cimicifugae racemosae radix) — are used in herbal medicine. The rhizomes and roots contain various saponins (triterpene saponins and triterpene glycosides, such as actein) as well as cimifugic acids and other phenol carboxylic acids.[3][16]

In most European countries, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Argentina and some other countries, black cohosh products are available as herbal products which have been approved by regulatory authorities ensuring reliable pharmaceutical quality, safety and efficacy for the relief of menopausal complaints such as hot flushes and profuse sweating.[3] In the U.S., India, and some other countries, black cohosh is used as a dietary supplement marketed mainly to women for treating menopausal symptoms and other gynecological problems.[10][17] Meta-analyses of contemporary evidence support these claims on menopausal complaints only for products holding a marketing authorization for this indication,[5] whereas there is no high-quality scientific evidence to support such uses for other products.[14][8][18]

Safety concerns

The Herbal Medicinal Product Committee (HMPC) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has summarized the adverse drug reactions of herbal medicines made from cimicifuga with mentioning allergic skin reactions (urticaria, itching, exanthema), facial oedema and peripheral oedema, and gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e. dyspeptic disorders, diarrhoea).[3]

Studies on the long-term safety of using herbal medicines made from black cohosh are available. They do not show harmful effects on breast tissue,

adulteration of commercial preparations by other plant species are risk factors in dietary supplements[10][25] and a critical matter of quality control in herbal medicinal products holding a marketing authorization. Very high doses of black cohosh may cause nausea, dizziness, visual effects, a lower heart rate, and increased perspiration.[14]

Worldwide, some 83 cases of liver damage, including

liver enzymes, have been associated with using black cohosh, although a cause-and-effect relationship remains undefined.[2] Millions of women have taken black cohosh without reporting adverse health effects,[8] and a meta-analysis of clinical trials found no evidence that black cohosh preparations had adverse effects on liver function.[26] Package leaflets of phytomedicines made from black cohosh caution that people with liver problems should not take it,[8][27] although a 2011 meta-analysis of research evidence suggested this concern may be unfounded.[26] In 2007, the Australian Government warned that black cohosh may cause liver damage, although rarely, and should not be used without medical supervision.[28] Other studies concluded that liver damage from use of black cohosh is unlikely.[29][30][31] The clinical picture is similar to an autoimmune hepatitis with centrilobular liver cell necrosis, which can be treated with corticosteroids.[32]

Phytochemicals and pharmacology

The rhizomes and roots of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa rhizoma) contain diverse

phytoestrogen compound (isoflavone)—could only be detected in methanolic extracts[35] and was not found in ethanolic or isopropanolic cimicifuga extracts.[36] Today, an estrogen-like mechanism of action can be ruled out.[37][38] Regarding the alleviation of menopausal symptoms, central nervous activity was suspected as early as 2003,[39] and it has since been confirmed with preclinical and clinical data.[23][40]

  • Cimigenol, a constituent of black cohosh[41]
    Cimigenol, a constituent of black cohosh[41]
  • Formononetin, a constituent of methanolic black cohosh[41] extracts but not of commercially available ethanolic or isopropanolic extracts
    Formononetin, a constituent of methanolic black cohosh[41] extracts but not of commercially available ethanolic or isopropanolic extracts

See also

References

  1. ^ "International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Black cohosh: Fact sheet for health professionals". Office of Dietary Supplements, US National Institutes of Health. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Herbal Medicinal Product Committee (HMPC) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) (2018-03-27). "Assessment report on Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt., rhizoma" (PDF).
  4. PMID 24062793
    .
  5. ^
    S2CID 222143782
    .
  6. PMID 28155126
    .
  7. ^
    JSTOR 1223580
    .
  8. ^ a b c d e "Black cohosh". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  9. ^
    ISBN 0-9700312-1-1
    .
  10. ^ a b c d Predny ML, De Angelis P, Chamberlain JL (2006). "Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa): An annotated Bibliography". General Technical Report SRS–97. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 99. Retrieved 2009-08-24.
  11. ^ Most “atropurpurea” selections on the market, however, are selections of ‘’Actaea simplex’’.
  12. ^ "Actaea racemosa". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  13. ^ Virginia Native Plant Society wildflower of the year 2017
  14. ^ a b c d "Black cohosh". Drugs.com. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. ISBN 0-394-50432-1
    .
  16. ^
    PMID 11473444
    .
  17. PMID 16884867
    .
  18. PMID 22972105
    .
  19. S2CID 18872990
    .
  20. PMID 21958943
    .
  21. PMID 17587516
    .
  22. S2CID 25623799
    .
  23. ^
    PMID 28155126
  24. ^ Herbal Medicinal Product Committee (HMPC) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) (2018-03-27). "Assessment report on Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt., rhizoma" (PDF).
  25. PMID 21677326
    .
  26. ^
    S2CID 6221776
    .
  27. ^ "Black Cohosh". Cancer Research UK. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  28. ^ "Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa): New labelling requirements and consumer information for medicines containing Black cohosh". Therapeutic Goods Administration, Department of Health, Australian Government. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  29. S2CID 23801005
    .
  30. S2CID 25066194
  31. S2CID 6221776{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  32. PMID 20130783{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  33. S2CID 156791
    .
  34. PMID 17500365
    .
  35. doi:10.7275/R5CR5R84
  36. PMID 12222669{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  37. doi:10.1177/1534735413477191
  38. doi:10.1055/s-2005-916233
  39. doi:10.1016/s0024-3205(03)00378-3
  40. PMID 34259940{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  41. ^
    OCLC 812923962
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Actaea_racemosa&oldid=1214044762"