[MPWG] A positive black cohosh study 12/7/2006 - Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa) Behaves as a Mixed Competitive Ligand and Partial Agonist at the Human Opiate Receptor

[Trish Flaster]

It is a pleasure that you sent this as this scientific team spent years  
looking at all the species of cohosh and other plants to understanding  
the mechanism activity of black cohosh.  I trust this work a lot more  
than others.

Trish
On Thursday, December 21, 2006, at 07:29 AM, McCoy, Joe-Ann wrote:

> FYI:  A positive black cohosh study which came out 2 weeks ago but  
> didn't receive the press' attention.  Just to even out the  
> uncertainty.........
>
> http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2006/54/i26/abs/ 
> jf062808u.html
>
>
> J. Agric. Food Chem., 54 (26), 9852 -9857, 2006. 10.1021/jf062808u  
> S0021-8561(06)02808-1
> December 7, 2006
>
> Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society
>
> Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Cimicifuga racemosa) Behaves as a Mixed  
> Competitive Ligand and Partial Agonist at the Human  Opiate Receptor
>
> Mee-Ra Rhyu,# Jian Lu, Donna E. Webster, Daniel S. Fabricant, Norman  
> R. Farnsworth, and Z. Jim Wang*
>
> Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, UIC/NIH Center  
> for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research and Program for  
> Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Department  
> of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of  
> Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612
>
> Abstract:
>
> Black cohosh is a commonly used botanical dietary supplement for the  
> treatment of climacteric complaints. Because the opiate system in the  
> brain is intimately associated with mood, temperature, and sex  
> hormonal levels, the activity of black cohosh extracts at the human   
> opiate receptor (hMOR) expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells was  
> investigated. The 100% methanol, 75% ethanol, and 40% 2-propanol  
> extracts of black cohosh effectively displaced the specific binding of  
> [3H]DAMGO to hMOR. Further studies of the clinically used ethanol  
> extract indicated that black cohosh acted as a mixed competitive  
> ligand, displacing 77 ± 4% [3H]DAMGO to hMOR (Ki = 62.9 g/mL). Using  
> the [35S]GTPS assay, the action of black cohosh was found to be  
> consistent with an agonist, with an EC50 of 68.8 ± 7.7 g/mL. These  
> results demonstrate for the first time that black cohosh contains  
> active principle(s) that activate hMOR, supporting its beneficial role  
> in alleviating menopausal symptoms.
>
> Keywords: Black cohosh; menopause; hot flashes; opiate; botanical  
> dietary supplement
>
> Received for review October 1, 2006. Accepted October 24, 2006. This  
> publication was funded by the following grants: AT003476 from the  
> National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and  
> the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS); AT000155 jointly provided to  
> the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research by the  
> ODS, the NCCAM, the Office for Research on Women's Health, and the  
> National Institute for General Medical Sciences; and DA005050 from the  
> National Institute on Drug Abuse. D.E.W. is supported by an NIH  
> predoctoral fellowship (F31AT002669). J.L. is a University Fellow. The  
> contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not  
> necessarily represent the official views of the NCCAM, NIDA, or the  
> National Institutes of Health.
>
> Joe-Ann McCoy, Ph.D.
> USDA-ARS Medicinal Plant Curator
> North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station
> G212 Agronomy Hall
> Iowa State University
> Ames, Iowa 50011-1170
> USA
> phone: 515-294-2297
> fax: 515-294-1903
>
>
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>
>
Trish Flaster
Executive Director
Botanical Liaisons, LLC
1180 Crestmoor Drive
Boulder, CO 80303
303-494-1555, 303-494-2555 fax
www.botanicalliaisons.com

Authenticated voucher specimens, a pressed plant reference tool,  
accompanied by the economically valuable dried plant part that is  
characterized by TLC or microscopy.  See a listing on the website or  
make special requests

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