Actaea racemosa

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 (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. Its extracts are manufactured as 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]

  1. ^ "International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org.
  2. ^ "Black cohosh: Fact sheet for health professionals". Office of Dietary Supplements, US National Institutes of Health. 30 August 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  3. ^ Herbal Medicinal Product Committee (HMPC) at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) (2018-03-27). "Assessment report on Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt., rhizoma" (PDF).
  4. ^ Beer, A.-M.; Neff, A. (2013). "Differentiated Evaluation of Extract-Specific Evidence on Cimicifuga racemosa 's Efficacy and Safety for Climacteric Complaints". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013: 860602. doi:10.1155/2013/860602. ISSN 1741-427X. PMC 3767045. PMID 24062793.
  5. ^ Castelo-Branco, C.; Gambacciani, M.; Cano, A.; Minkin, M. J.; Rachoń, D.; Ruan, X.; Beer, A.-M.; Schnitker, J.; Henneicke-von Zepelin, H.-H.; Pickartz, S. (2021-03-04). "Review & meta-analysis: isopropanolic black cohosh extract iCR for menopausal symptoms – an update on the evidence". Climacteric. 24 (2): 109–119. doi:10.1080/13697137.2020.1820477. hdl:2445/172473. ISSN 1369-7137. PMID 33021111. S2CID 222143782.
  6. ^ Henneicke-von Zepelin, Hans-Heinrich (2017). "60 years of Cimicifuga racemosa medicinal products: Clinical research milestones, current study findings and current development". Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift. 167 (7–8): 147–159. doi:10.1007/s10354-016-0537-z. ISSN 0043-5341. PMC 5409920. PMID 28155126.