ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt. (CR), known as black cohosh, has been used in Europe as a medicinal plant for more than a century and its roots have been widely used for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Remifemin, the main ingredient in liquid or tablet medications prepared from isopropyl alcohol extracts of black cohosh rhizome, has also been evaluated in cli...

Hot flashes are a common experience for menopausal women, with an 85-percent incidence in the West. With the increased knowledge of side effects attributable to conventional treatment options, more women are exploring natural alternatives. Although more definitive research is necessary, several natural therapies show promise in treating hot flashes without the risks associated with conventional...

This article provides an overview of the clinical evidence of interactions between herbal and conventional medicines. Herbs involved in drug interactions--or that have been evaluated in pharmacokinetic trials--are discussed in this review. While many of the interactions reported are of limited clinical significance and many herbal products (e.g. black cohosh, saw palmetto, echinacea, hawthorn a...

Three new monoterpene lactones, cimicifugolides A-C (1-3), along with a known one (4), were identified from the dried rhizome of Actaea cimicifuga L. that was used as traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years with the Chinese common name of shengma. The structures of the new isolates were established using spectroscopic methods, including NMR, mass, UV, and IR spectra. The inhibition ...

OBJECTIVE This comprehensive review examines the safety of Cimicifuga racemosa for the treatment of menopause symptoms, particularly in populations in which conventional menopause treatment regimens, including estrogen replacement, are contraindicated. DESIGN An extensive database of information on Cimicifuga, which included all published literature pertaining to preclinical and clinical safe...

Phytochemical analysis of the rhizomes of Cimicifuga racemosa (Ranunculaceae) resulted in the isolation of twelve cycloartane glycosides (1--12), including four new ones (4--6, 12). The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic analysis, including two-dimensional (2D) NMR data, and chemical methods. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities agai...

BACKGROUND Menopause is described as the transition from the reproductive phase of a women to the non reproductive. Changes in hormone levels might lead to complaints and health consequences especially during peri- and postmenopause. Hormone therapy has a potential damaging health risk profile and is recommended for temporal limited therapy for acute vasomotor symptoms only. OBJECTIVE The pre...