Phytochemistry and ethnopharmacological studies of genus Cimicifuga: A systematic and comprehensive review

Ethnopharmacological uses: Black cohosh, also known as Cimicifuga sp., is one of the most widely used ethno-medicine for the treatment of major health issues in women. Some reports show that Cimicifuga sp. exhibit anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-pyretic, and anti-inflammatory properties.Purpose of this review: The objective of this comprehensive review is to furnish current and exhaustive knowledge pertaining to the pharmacological, phytochemical, and therapeutic properties of Cimicifuga sp.Materials and methods: In this review, all the available information was collected on Cimicifugasp. via comput-erized search using Google Scholar, PubMed, Research Gate, Sci-Hub, supplementary resources (books, gov-ernment reports, and Ph.D. theses).Result: The phytochemical investigation on Cimicifuga sp. has shown phytoconstituents such as triterpenoid glycosides, phenylpropanoid, flavonoids, saponin, lignan, nitrogenous compounds, alkaloids, 4 alpha-Methyl steroids and some other component like monoterpene lactones cimicifugolides A-C etc. Cimicifuga conveys a wide scope of research on in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological potential, like anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, estrogenic, anti-oxidant, anti-neoplastic, anti-depressant, anti-Alzheimer, and anti-climacteric properties.Conclusion: This article discusses the medicinal and traditional histories of various Cimicifuga species. Because quality control and safety assessments of Cimicifuga species are currently lacking, only a limited portion of the plant may be used as medication. The majority of current research focuses on triterpene glycosides. Although there are a variety of additional molecules that may have novel biological functions, systematic investigations of these compounds are lacking. The Cimicifuga plant has to go through a lot of studies before it can be completely used in clinics as a viable medicinal contender.