PHYTOCHEMICAL VARIATION IN BLACK COHOSH POPULATIONS

Black cohosh accessions (Actaea racemosa L. [syn. Cimicifuga racemosa (L.) Nutt.]), collected from 11 wild populations in five states and subsequently grown at a common location in Amherst, Massachusetts, were used to determine variation in chemical constituency among the populations. Analysis by HPLC indicated significant variation in levels of actein, cimicifugoside, cimicifugoside H1, ferulic acid and formononetin. Such variation suggests the quality and efficacy of black cohosh will differ with the geographical origin of the plant material.