It belongs to Ranunculaceae family.
Black cochosh is a herbaceous perennial plant, measuring between 1 and 3 meters in height, with dark and thick rhizome, glabrous stems with grooves, big alternate leaves composed by 2-5 lobulate serrated folioles, inflorescence compound by foul-smelling white, creamy and bright flowers in a terminal bunch, which blossom in July.
It is native to the East part of North America.
Its name comes from “cimis” “fugio” which means insects put to flight (situation that causes the characteristic smell of flowers) and “racemose” which means grapelike.
Rhizome and root.
According to the European Pharmacopeia, it consists on the root and the dried, entire or fragmented rhizome of Actaea racemosa L. with a minimum content of 1% of triterpene glycosides, expressed as monoammonium glycyrrhizinate, regarding the dry drug.
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Guo Y, Yin T, Wang X, Zhang F, Pan G, Lv H, et al. Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of the genus Cimicifuga: A review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2017; 209: 264-282.
Bai W, Henneicke-von Zepelin HH, Wang S, Zheng S, Liu J, Zhang Z, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of a medicinal product containing an isopropanolic black cohosh extract in Chinese women with menopausal symptoms: a randomized, double blind, parallel-controlled study versus tibolone. Maturitas 2007; 58:31-41.
Ross SM. Menopause: a standardized isopropanolic black cohosh extract (remifemin) is found to be safe and effective for menopausal symptoms. Holist Nurs Pract. 2012; 26 (1): 58-61.
