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Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, Traditional and Modern Uses of Actaea racemosa L. (Black cohosh): A Review

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Pharmacological Properties of Plant-Derived Natural Products and Implications for Human Health

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1308))

Abstract

Actaea racemosa (AR) also known as Cimicifuga racemosa, is a perennial plant from Ranunculaceae family which was used as traditional remedies in treatment of various condition like rheumatoid muscular pain, headache, inflammation and dysmenorrhea. Actaea racemosa was basically native to Canada and the Eastern United State. This chapter proposed the ethnopharmacological uses of Actaea racemosa, and its phytochemical properties. Specifically, in this article we focused on use of Actaea racemose for menopausal and post-menopausal symptoms management. Electronic databases including PubMed and Scopus were searched for studies on Actaea racemose and its administration in management of menopausal symptoms. Chem Office software was also used in order to find chemical structures. The key words used as search terms were Cimicifuga racemose, Actaea racemose, Ranunculaceae, Black cohosh, Menopausal symptoms. We have included all relevant animal and human studies up to the date of publication. The analysis on Actaea racemose showed various indications for different plant’s extracts. Approximately 131 chemical compounds have been isolated and identified from Actaea racemosa. According to recently studies, the most important chemicals known of the Actaea racemosa are phenolic compounds, chromones, triterpenoids, nitrogen-containing constituents. In addition, in vivo and in vitro studies reported wide range of pharmacological activities for Black cohosh like attenuating menopausal symptoms. Mechanism of action for some ethnomedicinal indications were made clear while some of its activities are not confirmed by pharmacological studies yet. Further investigations on its pharmacological properties are necessary to expand its clinical effective use. Also, additional large clinical trials are recommended for clarifying the effect of Black cohosh.

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Acknowledgements

This study has been supported by the Deputy of Research of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

Conflict of Interest

The authors would like to thank Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

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None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Sofia Salari & Sepideh Elyasi

  2. Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Sadegh Amiri

  3. Nanotechnology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Mahin Ramezani

  4. Pharmaceutical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Mahin Ramezani

  5. School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Ali Tafazoli Moghadam

  6. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Tafazoli Moghadam

  7. Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Amirhossein Sahebkar

  8. Biotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Amirhossein Sahebkar

  9. School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Amirhossein Sahebkar

  10. Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital Research Institute (PMMHRI), Lodz, Poland

    Amirhossein Sahebkar

  11. Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Seyed Ahmad Emami

Authors
  1. Sofia Salari
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  2. Mohammad Sadegh Amiri
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  3. Mahin Ramezani
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  4. Ali Tafazoli Moghadam
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  5. Sepideh Elyasi
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  6. Amirhossein Sahebkar
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  7. Seyed Ahmad Emami
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sepideh Elyasi , Amirhossein Sahebkar or Seyed Ahmad Emami .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland

    George E. Barreto

  2. Applied Biomedical Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Amirhossein Sahebkar

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Salari, S. et al. (2021). Ethnobotany, Phytochemistry, Traditional and Modern Uses of Actaea racemosa L. (Black cohosh): A Review. In: Barreto, G.E., Sahebkar, A. (eds) Pharmacological Properties of Plant-Derived Natural Products and Implications for Human Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1308. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64872-5_24

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