Abstract

THE ROLE OF BLACK COHOSH IN MENOPAUSE MANAGEMENT: A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Sharvari Tijare*

ABSTRACT

Black cohosh, or Cimicifuga racemosa, is a perennial dicot of the Buttercup family native to the Eastern half of the United States and Canada. It is also known as snakeroot, black bugbane, rattleweed or macroyts. The chemical constituents of black cohosh are hydroxycinnamic acid, cimicifugoside, cimicigenol, formononetin, actein, 27-deoxyactein, ferulic acid and isoferulic acid. The pharmacological activity of black cohosh is to treat menopausal symptoms. The menopausal symptoms are hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, sleep disturbance and mood swings. Traditionally, black cohosh is used by American women for treating menopausal symptoms, but now therapeutically the black cohosh has various uses like musculoskeletal pain, etc. Black cohosh works by various mechanism of action such as estrogen receptor modulation, serotonin regulation or dopamine regulation. Mostly the marketed preparationsare present in the capsule form (oral dosage form) which is prepared by root extract powder of black cohosh. This article serves as a resource for future black cohosh research and use.

Keywords: Black cohosh, Chemical constituents, Pharmacological activity, Menopausal symptoms, Root extract powder, Capsule.