Black Cohosh - Non-Timber Forest Products

stomach upset, but none discontinued treatment. Physicians considered
the black cohosh treatment advantageous over hormone replacement in 72
percent of the cases. The author concluded that black cohosh was a safe and
effective nonhormonal treatment for menopausal symptoms.
Keywords: Clinical studies, medicinal uses, Remifemin ® .
Struck, D.; Tegtmeier, M.; Harnischfeger, G. 1997. Flavones in extracts of
Cimicifuga racemosa. Planta Medica. 63(3): 289.
Evaluates the active chemical constituents in black cohosh commercial
preparations. Flavonoids were found in both extracts and medicines, but
the isoflavone formononetin and the flavone kaempferol were not present in
detectable amounts.
Keywords: Chemical constituents, products, research.
Suggs, R. 2003. Market profile: black cohosh. Robbinsville, NC: Yellow
Creek Botanical Institute. 12 p. Unpublished document. On file with: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station,
SRS-4702, 1650 Ramble Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060.
Describes the international market for black cohosh. Black cohosh is most
commonly used to relieve symptoms of menopause and premenstrual
syndrome. Although black cohosh is not currently threatened or endangered,
increased demand in the late 1990s has qualified the herb for “At-Risk”
status with the United Plant Savers, and the plant is considered a priority
species for observation by the wildlife trade monitoring organization
TRAFFIC. Black cohosh is regulated in the United States as a dietary
supplement and is approved as a drug in Europe. Numerous clinical
studies have supported the safety and efficacy of black cohosh, though the
exact mechanism of action is not known. Active constituents in medicinal
preparations are triterpene glycosides and flavonoids, often standardized
to 1-mg triterpenes (27–deoxyactein) per tablet. In the field, yellow cohosh
(Cimicifuga americana) is often confused with black cohosh, as the plants
have similar characteristics and habitats. In China, sheng ma (Cimicifuga
foetida) is substituted for black cohosh, though no clinical studies have
evaluated this species. Market prices for black cohosh peaked in 1998 at
$4.50/lb for dried roots, with a total of 600,000 to 700,000 lbs of roots in
the market at that time. An estimated 95 percent of this was supplied from
the wild and only 5 percent cultivated. The high prices paid for rhizomes
increased harvest and overstocked the market, causing prices to drop to
$1.40/lb in late 2000. As stocks are diminishing, prices are slowly rising
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