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Health News Archive 751 - Breast Cancer
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Black Cohosh Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth

Black Cohosh was able to stop the progression of a human breast cancer cell line, scientists discovered during an in vitro experiment.

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is a member of the buttercup family, and is a perennial plant native to North America. It is commonly used by women with menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes.

Researchers investigated the effects of black cohosh fractions enriched for triterpene glycosides, compounds thought to give black cohosh its possible anti-cancer abilities, against a human breast cancer cell line. The scientists determined that the most powerful component of black cohosh was able to inhibit the cancer cells by up to 50 percent. The mechanism of action appeared to be that black cohosh caused programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the cancer cells.

The researchers of the current study published other studies earlier this year that also showed black cohosh can inhibit breast cancer cells.

Other scientists have found that black cohosh can reduce the cell-killing efficacy of certain chemotherapy drugs and increase the cell-killing efficacy of other drugs, so women who already have breast cancer and are taking chemotherapy drugs should consult with their physician before supplementing with black cohosh.

Reference:

Einbond LS, Wen-Cai Y, He K, Wu H, Cruz E, Roller M, Kronenberg F. Growth inhibitory activity of extracts and compounds from Cimicifuga species on human breast cancer cells. Phytomedicine (Elsevier). 5 November 2007. EPub ahead of print.

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