At least five species, C. dahurica (Turcz. ex Fish.& C.A. Mey.) Maxim. [A. dahurica (Turcz. ex Fish. & C.A. Mey,) Franch], C. foetida varieties [A cimicifuga L., and other designations from Table I], C. heracleifolia Kom. [A. heracleifolia (Kom.) J. Compton], C simplex (DC.) Wormsk ex Trucz. [A. simplex (DC.) Wormsk. ex Prantl], and other taxa formerly designated C simplex varieties]; and C. japonica (Thunb.) Spreng [A. japonica Thunb., C. acerina Tanaka] have been used in traditional or folk medicine systems in Asia, including those in China, Japan, Korea, and Russia.

Traditional Uses of Asian Species

The rhizomes sourced from C. foetida, C. heracleifolia, and C. dahurica, are known in traditional Chinese medicine as sheng-ma.(1) In the context of traditional Chinese medicine, sheng-ma is considered sweetish, acrid with a mildly bitter flavor, and a somewhat "cold" property. It is believed to treat "heatwind" used to induce the eruption of measles at the onset of symptoms, and to improve "spleen" function. Use also includes treating headache due to pathogenic "windheat." gingivitis, gastroptosis, uterine prolapse and rectal prolapse caused by chronic diarrhea, sore throat, chills and fevers, and other uses. Considerable chemical and pharmacological work has been carried out on these Asian species. Anti-inflammatory, fever-reducing, analgesic, anticonvulsant, blood pressure-lowering, and antibacterial activity have been demonstrated. C dahurica rhizome reportedly contains cimitin, cimigenol, cimigenol xyloside, dahurinol, isoferulic acid, visnagin, visamminol, and cimifugin. C . foetida contains cimicifugine, salicylic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and tannins. (2, 3)

Cimicifuga japonica (as C. acerina) is another traditional Chinese drug known as san-mian-dao. Among its constituents are acerinol glycoside, cimicifugenol, acetylcimigenol, and acetylcimigenoside.(4) Cimicifuga simplex (DC.) Wormsk ex Trucz.,is designated ye-sheng-ma, with active constituents including cimicifiguoside, acetylcimifugoside, cimigenoside, cimicifugenol, khellol, ammiol, and cimifugin, among others.(5)

Recent Studies on Asian Species: New Directions for Research

Both C. heracleifolia and C. dahurica are also frequently used in Japanese herbal medicines for their antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activity (as sho-ma). A recent Japanese study has proposed new mechanisms of action, along with chemical constituents responsible for anti-inflammatory effects. This study helps give scientific support to the traditional use of Cimicifuga species in inflammatory conditions. Accumulation of neutrophils at the site of inflammation are known to play a role in promoting and modulating inflammatory reactions. Neutrophils have been found to infiltrate at the initial inflammatory phase of upper respiratory tract infections induced by influenza virus. This neutrophil infiltration is a characteristic feature of influenza virus infection, Interleukin-8 has been associated with increased neutrophil production at the inflammatory site. Ferulic acid and its isomer isoferulic acid have been shown to be novel, potent inhibitors of murine interleuk in-8 production, significantly reducing the number of exuded neutrophils in lung tissue after infection. They are proposed as main active anti-inflammatory components of C. heracleifolia and C. dahurica.(6) Three novel cycloanostanol xylosides, cimicifugosides H-I, H-2, and H-5, have recently been isolated from a commercial batch of Cimicifuga rhizome (shoma; source species not specified).(7) Generally,Asian species of Cimicifuga are much better known chemically than North American material, including C, racemosa.

A recent Japanese study reported on the effect of Asian Cimicifuga species on serum calcium and phosphate levels plus bone mineral density in rats. This preliminary research on the effects of Cimicifuga extracts on osteoporosis-related effects was prompted by traditional use of Asian species in gynecological conditions and the gonadotropin release activity of C. racemosa. Previously, researchers headed by J.X.U at the Research Institute for Traditional Sino-Japanese Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, have found that various hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts from C. heracleifolia and C foetida along with sixteen terpenoid fractions showed inhibitory activity on bone resorption stimulated by parathyroid hormone in bone organ culture.(8) In their follow-up research, ethyl acetate-soluble fractions from ethanol extracts of C. heracleifolia and C. foetida, along with four triterpenoids, in two experimental models were evaluated. Low calcium dietary rats were used as one model because increase in their serum calcium is dependent upon bone turnover. Ovariectomized rats were selected as a second model as they are known to lose bone mass following surgical removal of the ovary. Serum calcium and phosphorus levels were measured in low-calcium dietary rats, and the maintenance of bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was measured in ovariectomized rats as measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. The extracts of the roots and four isolated compounds consistently showed a decrease in serum calcium level in the low-calcium dietary animals. Parathyroid hormone is increased by calcium deficiency induced by a low-calcium diet or poor intestinal absorption of calcium. This hormone increases the rate of bone dissolution. In the low calcium dietary group, decreased serum calcium levels were linked to inhibiting bone turnover. In the other treatment group, ovariectomized rats treated with the Cimicifuga extracts had significantly greater bone den sity than untreated animals. These studies along with previous experiments show that Cimicifuga rhizomes have a strong inhibitory activity on bone resorption, increasing bone mineral density. It is unclear whether this is the result of an estrogen-mediated effect, suppression of parathyroid hormone, or direct inhibition of bone turnover. The authors concluded: "It is suggested that Cimicifugae rhizome has potential in the treatment of osteoporosis, particular in menopausal women. More research is necessary, but the results point to an interesting new direction in research, not only for Asian species, but black cohosh as well.

References

(1.) Jiangsu New Medical College, Eds. Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Zhong Yon Da Ci Dian).Vol. I, Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing Co. 1977:451, #912.

(2.) Chang HM, But PPH, Eds. Pharmacology and Applications of Chinese Materia Medica. Vol I. Singapore World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd; 1986; 235-239.

(3.) Hsu HY, Chen YP, Shen SJ, Hsu CS, Chen CC, Chang HC. Oriental Materia Medica -- A Concise Guide. Long Beach (CA): Oriental Healing Arts Institute; 1986.

(4.) Jiangsu New Medical College, Eds. Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine. (Zhong Yao Da Ci Dian). Vol. I, Shanghai:Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing Co. 1977, 64, #0114.

(5.) Jiangsu New Medical College, Eds. Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhong Yao De Ci Dian). Vol. 2, Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing Co. 1977, 2131, #4367.

(6.) Hirabayashi T, Ochiai H, Sakai S, Nakajima K, Terasawa K. Inhibitory effect of ferulic acid and isoferulic acid on murine interleukin-8 production in response to influenza virus infections in vitro and in vivo. Planta Med. 1995; 61 (3):221-226.

(7.) Koeda M, Aoki Y, Sakurai N, Nagai M. Studies on the Chinese crude drug "shoma" IX. Three novel cycloanostanol xylosides, cimicifugosides H-1, H-2, and H-5, from cimicifuga rhizome. Chem. Pharm. Bull. (Tokyo). 1995 May;43(5):771-776.

(8.) Li JX, Kadota S.Li HY, Miyahara T. Namba T. The effect of traditional medicines on bone resorption induced by parathyroid hormone (PTH) in tissue culture: a detailed study on Cimicifugae rhizoma. J. Trad. Med. 1996; 13:50-58.

(9.) Li JX, Kadota S, Li HY. Miyahara T, Wu YW, Seto H, Namba T. Effects of Cimicifugae rhizome on serum calcium and phosphate levels in low calcium dietary rats and on bone mineral density in ovariectomized rats. Phytomedicine 1996/97; 3(4): 379-385.

Article copyright American Botanical Council.