Abstract
The medicinal plant Actaea racemosa is a perennial, whose rhizome (black cohosh rhizome) is usually wild harvested on
a multiton scale to meet market requirements. Since this North American species is
increasingly endangered, cultivation is needed. Even though studies prove that cultivation
is possible, it has not been widely established. This may be due to a different quality
of cultivated material, which does not comply with current pharmacopoeial requirements.
This study compares contents and chromatographic fingerprints of phenolic acids and
triterpene glycosides in different types of black cohosh rhizomes. Commercial batches
from wild harvests were compared to individual plants from the wild and from cultivation.
Phenolic acidsʼ contents and profiles were generally comparable between wild harvesting
and cultivation. On the contrary, the total triterpene glycoside content was significantly
lower in cultivation (p ≤ 0.001). In individual plants, different profiles of triterpene
glycosides occurred. Possibly, specimen or chemotype selection for cultivation would
cause a shift of the triterpene glycoside profile of cultivation batches away from
the common pattern found in batches from wild harvesting. Potentially, such differences
have an impact on the efficacy of black cohosh herbal products, if cultivated plant
material is used for manufacturing.
Key words
Actaea racemosa
- Ranuculaceae - cultivation - triterpene glycosides - chemotypes
