Actaea racemosa, the black cohosh, black bugbane, black snakeroot, rattle-top, or fairy candle (syn. Cimicifuga racemosa), is a species of flowering plant of the family Ranunculaceae. It is native to eastern North America from the extreme south of Ontario to central Georgia, and west to Missouri and Arkansas. It grows in a variety of woodland habitats, and is often found in small woodland openings.
The roots and rhizomes are used in traditional medicine by Native Americans. A thorough literature profiling suggests that Cimicifuga racemosa is more efficient compared to a placebo in treating vasomotor symptoms resulting from natural menopause. The present review clearly encapsulates the use of CR extract for effective and safe therapy to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
Taxonomy
The plant species has a history of taxonomic uncertainty. Carl Linnaeus, on the basis of morphological characteristics of the inflorescence and seeds, placed the species into the genus Actaea. This designation was later revised by Thomas Nuttall reclassifying the species to the genus Cimicifuga. Nuttall's classification was based solely on the dry follicles produced by black cohosh, which are typical of species in Cimicifuga. However, recent data from morphological and gene phylogeny analyses demonstrate that black cohosh is more closely related to species of the genus Actaea than to other Cimicifuga species. This has prompted the revision to Actaea racemosa as originally proposed by Linnaeus. The basal leaves are up to 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, tall, forming racemes up to long. The flowers have no petals or sepals, and consist of tight clusters of 55–110 white, long stamens surrounding a white stigma. The flowers have a distinctly sweet, fetid smell that attracts flies, gnats, and beetles. 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.
The plant was Virginia Native Plant Society's 2017 wildflower of the year.
Traditional and alternative medicine
History
Native Americans used black cohosh in the belief it could treat gynecological and other disorders. The plant appeared in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia under the name "black snakeroot" during the year 1830.
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.
For all other products, no high-quality scientific evidence exists to support such uses.
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). or breast cancer survivors. In contrast, such studies have not been published for dietary supplements made from black cohosh. 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. Package leaflets of phytomedicines made from black cohosh caution that people with liver problems should not take it, Other studies concluded that liver damage from use of black cohosh is unlikely.
Millions of women have taken black cohosh without reporting adverse health effects,
Phytochemicals
The rhizomes and roots of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa rhizoma) contain diverse phytochemicals, particularly triterpene glycosides, such as actein and cimicifugoside, cimicifugin, caffeic acid, various saponins, and phenolic acids.