Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals : Chinese Herbs – Bei Mei Sheng Ma or Sheng Ma (Rhizoma Cimicifugae)

Friday 15 November 2013

Chinese Herbs – Bei Mei Sheng Ma or Sheng Ma (Rhizoma Cimicifugae)

Bei Mei Sheng Ma or Sheng Ma also known as black Cohosh Rhizome. The acrid, sweet and cold herb has been used in TCM as antipyretic agent and to inhibit pain and edema, induce calming, lower blood pressure and treat ulcers, etc. as it releases the Exterior, promotes the eruption of exanthema, clears Heat, expels toxins, raises Yang, etc. by enhancing the functions of lung, spleen, large intestine, stomach channels.
Ingredients
1. Cimitin
2. Cimigenol
3. Visnagin
4. Visamminol
5. Indole
6. Alkaloids
7. Cimicifugine
8. b-sitosterol
9. Cimigenol xyloside
10 Dahurinol
11. Isodahurinol
12.Dehydroxydahurinol
25-0-methylisodahurinol
26. Isoferulicacid
27. 25-0-methylisodahurinol
28. Isoferulicacid
29. Visnagin
30. Visamminol
31. Etc.
Health Benefits

1. Osteoporosis
Cimicifuga heracleifolia (CH), an Asian species of Cimicifugae rhizome has prevented the OVX-induced increase in body weight but did not alter the uterus weight of the OVX(ovariectomized) mice and significantly preserved trabecular bone mass, bone volume, trabecular number, trabecular thickness, structure model index and bone mineral density of proximal tibia metaphysis or distal femur metaphysis, according to the study of “Evaluation of the Antiosteoporotic Potential of Cimicifuga heracleifolia in Female Mice” by Ahn BS, Yang M, Jang H, Lee HJ, Moon C, Kim JC, Jung U, Jo SK, Jang JS, Kim SH.(1)
2. Anti-inflammatory activity
aqueous C. racemosa root extracts (CRE) and its phenolcarboxylic constituents have reduced LPS(lipopolysaccharide)-induced release of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in a concentration- and time-dependent manner and almost completely blocked release of IFN-gamma into the plasma supernatant. Except for IFN-gamma, these effects were attenuated at longer incubation periods. IL-8 secretion was stimulated by CRE, according to the study of “Aqueous extracts of Cimicifuga racemosa and phenolcarboxylic constituents inhibit production of proinflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated human whole blood” by Schmid D, Woehs F, Svoboda M, Thalhammer T, Chiba P, Moeslinger T.(2)
3. Infertility
Additional oral phytoestrogen (Cimicifuga racemosa) dry extract to clomiphene citrate induction can improve the pregnancy rate and cycle outcomes in couples with unexplained cause of infertility, according to the study of “Adding phytoestrogens to clomiphene induction in unexplained infertility patients–a randomized trial” by Shahin AY, Ismail AM, Zahran KM, Makhlouf AM.(3)
4. Anti-microbial and in vivo cytokine modulating effects
Ching-Wei-San, the formula in traditional Chinese medicine, including Cimicifuga foetida has exerted the inhibitory effects on three well-known plaque-causing bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivialis, Streptococcus sanguis, and Streptococcus mutans, and two common pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, according to the study of “In vitro anti-microbial and in vivo cytokine modulating effects of different prepared Chinese herbal medicines” by Lin SJ, Chen CS, Lin SS, Chou MY, Shih HC, Lee IP, Kao CT, Ho CC, Chen FL, Ho YC, Hsieh KH, Huang CR, Yang CC.(4)
5. Anti-herpes simplex virus
Berberine is an alkaloid extracted from Coptidis rhizome. Among the individual herbal components of a Chinese herb medicine, Ching-Wei-San, including Cimicifuga foetida has interfered with the viral replication cycle after virus penetration and no later than the viral DNA synthesis step, and its activities were not affected by the preparation processes. according to the study of “Anti-herpes simplex virus effects of berberine from Coptidis rhizoma, a major component of a Chinese herbal medicine, Ching-Wei-San” by Chin LW, Cheng YW, Lin SS, Lai YY, Lin LY, Chou MY, Chou MC, Yang CC.(5)
6. Anticomplement activity
Cimilactone A in A tetranor-cycloartane glycoside and two 9,19-cycloartane glycosides isolated from the EtOAc-soluble fraction of the rhizome of Cimicifuga foetida has shown significant anticomplement activity against the classical pathway of the complement system, according to the study of “Anticomplement activity of cycloartane glycosides from the rhizome of Cimicifuga foetida” by Qiu M, Kim JH, Lee HK, Min BS.(6)
7. Etc.
Side effect
1. Black cohosh should be used with caution during pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester, because of its purported labour-inducing effects, according to the study of “Safety and efficacy of black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) during pregnancy and lactation” by Dugoua JJ, Seely D, Perri D, Koren G, Mills E.(a)
2. Do not use the herb when measles is fully ripened.
3. Overdoses can cause headaches, dizziness, vomiting, tremor, gastrointestinal disorder, etc.
4. The herb may cause liver disease, according to the study of “Suspected black cohosh hepatotoxicity–challenges and pitfalls of causality assessment” by Teschke R, Bahre R, Genthner A, Fuchs J, Schmidt-Taenzer W, Wolff A.(b)
5. Etc.