The Art of NATURE, The Art of SCIENCE
Common names | Black cohosh, Black bugbane, Fairy candles
Scientific name | Cimicifuga racemosa
Used part | Root
Known active compounds | cimicifugic acids, ferulic acid, protocatechualdehyde, actaealactone
Potential benefits in cosmetics | anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-wrinkle
Product name | Black Cohosh-ANB
Plant Story
Cimicifuga racemosa is a perennial plant native to eastern North America. It is commonly known as black cohosh, black bugbane, black snakeroot, or fairy candles. One of its common names, black bugbane was given because the flowers have a strong odor and effectively repel insects. Native Americans used black cohosh roots for various medicinal purposes. They used the roots for rheumatism, kidney trouble, colds, and coughs. It was also used to stimulate menstruation or as a soak and steam bath for rheumatism.
Various phenolic compounds have been isolated from black cohosh roots, including cimicifugic acids, fukinolic acid, protocatechuic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and isoferulic acid. Cimicifugic acids exhibit radical scavenging activities, while both fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acid show collagenase inhibition activities. It was also shown that the aqueous extract of black cohosh root inhibited nitrite and reduced the protein and mRNA expression of iNOS in LPS-induced macrophages.