NUTRACEUTICALS

Black cohosh

Feverfew

First harvest

Lecture series 2003

Plant medicine initiative

Prescription plants

Tissue culture

Team members

Program details

NEWS RELEASE

DATE: 7-18-01

CONTACT:  Joe-Ann McCoy, (864) 656-5744 

WRITER: Peter Kent, (864) 656-0937 

CLEMSON RESEARCHER STUDIES BLACK COHOSH,
HERBAL REMEDY FOR MENOPAUSAL HOT FLASHES

CLEMSON -- Millions of women worldwide will never know Joe-Ann McCoy, but their lives will be made better by her work. McCoy is a plant physiology doctoral student at Clemson University studying a mountain-grown plant that contains chemical compounds providing relief for the hot flashes triggered by menopause.

Like the plant she studies, McCoy lives in the Appalachians, a mountain chain worn down by age, creased with coves and hollows. In the moist hardwood coves thrives black cohosh, a leafy plant with spiky white flowers and gnarled roots, which is a relative of the buttercup.

McCoy's research on growing methods will help create sustainable harvesting practices that can reduce the pressure on native plants. Harvested for its root, black cohosh is being considered for CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) listing.  A 1998 American Botanical Council paper noted that increased demand for the plant could endanger it.

Initially, researchers plan to monitor native black cohosh populations to determine a number of factors, including growth rates, pollinators, soil characteristics and plant death rates. Understanding the life cycle and ecology of the plant can provide critical knowledge about how the species grows, reproduces and responds to stress.

Though no one can say for sure how it works, black cohosh does treat hot flashes, according to scientists. German researchers report that black cohosh preparations relieve hot flashes better than placebos.

Black cohosh is widely prescribed in Europe. Doctors in the United States opt for estrogen. Hormonal estrogen has benefits - it prevents osteoporosis and maybe heart disease - and drawbacks - it may raise the risk of breast cancer.

McCoy's investigation into growing the plant will not only benefit women but also the farmers of Appalachia. Herbal remedies are a booming business, with U.S. sales estimated at $4.12 billion in 2000, according to Nutrition Business Journal. Black cohosh compounds alone created sales of about $34 million.

To help south Appalachian farmers get a foothold in the burgeoning herbal medicine market, the Yellow Creek Botanical Institute awarded McCoy $10,000 from the Alcoa Foundation to continue her research. Unlike other plant-based preparations, black cohosh grows best only in southeastern mixed hardwood forests.

Located in Graham County, North Carolina, the nonprofit research and development institute focuses on the advancement of plants native to the southern Appalachians as new crops to sustain the economic growth of the region. Working with North Carolina State University and the U.S. Forest Service, the institute is identifying woodland areas ideal for growing certain plants and developing methods to grow and harvest the herbal medicines commercially.  

Black cohosh is one of a number of plants with medical or nutritional value for either the prevention or treatment of ailments, which are called "nutraceuticals." Field and laboratory studies are underway in South Carolina to investigate the commercial potential of herbal remedies. One group in particular, tobacco farmers, have been singled out as test growers for crops, such as feverfew and echinacea. State agricultural leaders hope the crops can supplement tobacco farmer income and build a base for South Carolina becoming a leader in the production of medicinal plants. This study is being conducted through Agriculture & Forestry Research at Clemson.