Black Cohosh - Non-Timber Forest Products

National Institutes of Health, National Toxicology Program. 2002. Black
cohosh. http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/index.cfm?objectid=07110B8E-B6F8-
602B-BFB961E97D06B225. [Date accessed: January 7, 2004].
Reviews research on black cohosh safety, including the identification and
structure of chemical constituents, exposure information, use patterns,
regulatory status, evidence for carcinogenic activity, biological effects,
health effects of active constituents, and references.
Keywords: Cancer, chemical constituents, physiological actions, regulatory
status, research reviews.
Nesselhut, T.; Bodinet, C.; Schneider, P.; Freudenstein, J., inventors;
Schaper & Bruemmer GmbH & Co., assignee. 2001. Use of extract of
Cimicifuga racemosa. U.S. patent 6,267,994. July 31. 1 p. Int. CI2 A61K
035/78. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HI
TOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND
&d=ptxt&s1=6,267,994.WKU.&OS=PN/6,267,994&RS=PN/6,267,994.
[Date accessed: September 13, 2004].
Patents the use of a black cohosh extract to treat estrogen-dependent
tumors. Black cohosh has been found to increase the effectiveness of the
anticancer drug tamoxifen, reducing the dosage needed to treat cancer. This
is beneficial both because tamoxifen can be toxic in high doses, and because
black cohosh can reduce hot flashes experienced by breast cancer survivors.
Keywords: Cancer, drug interactions, medicinal uses, patents.
Nesselhut, T.; Borth, S.; Kuhn, W. 1993. Influence of Cimicifuga extracts
with estrogen-like activity on the in vitro proliferation of mamma
carcinoma cells. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 254: 817-818.
Shows that Remifemin ® , at concentrations of > 2.5 µgm/ml, inhibits the
proliferation of E2 positive breast cancer cells. Inhibition decreased when
Remifemin ® was combined with estradiol, but increased when combined
with tamoxifen, and was greater than for either Remifemin ® or tamoxifen
used alone. The authors suggested that the inhibition of breast cancer cells
was mediated through the estrogen receptor and that the positive effects of
tamoxifen were enhanced by black cohosh.
Keywords: Cancer, clinical studies, drug interactions, Remifemin ® .
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