Actaea heracleifolia
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64400735c9c3e108340571 |
| Scientific name | Actaea heracleifolia |
| Authority | (Kom.) J.Compton |
| First published in | Taxon 47: 624 (1998) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Actaea heracleifolia, the rhizome‑bearing member of the Ranunculaceae, has long been prepared as a hot water infusion or decoction for “raising yang, dispelling wind‑heat and easing headache and fever.” Among the Chinese of mainland China, Bensky et al., 2004 describe a standard decoction of the dried rhizome taken after a brief simmer, and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 records a dose of 3–9 g of the same material boiled in 200 mL of water for 30 minutes. In Japanese Kampo practice, Shih et al., 2013 report that a mild infusion of powdered rhizome (≈5 g steeped in 150 mL of water for 10 minutes) is employed for febrile disorders and vertigo, while Korean traditional medicine literature (Kim et al., 2009) notes a decoction of 4 g of the dried rhizome boiled for 20 minutes used to relieve joint pain and fatigue. In each case the plant part is the rhizome, and the preparation is taken as a warm tea or decoction.
A simple home‑made decoction follows the practice recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia: measure 5 g of dried Actaea heracleifolia rhizome, place it in 250 mL of cold water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes. Strain the liquid and drink the warm tea in two doses, morning and evening. Safety notes are essential: the herb is classified as warming and should be avoided by pregnant women because it may stimulate uterine activity, and patients on antihypertensive medication should monitor their blood pressure as the saponins can lower blood pressure (Bensky et al., 2004).
The pharmacological activity is linked to well‑characterized phytochemicals isolated from this species. Triterpene saponins such as cimicifugoside and 27‑deoxyactein have been identified in the rhizome (Zhao et al., 2015), alongside phenolic acids including ferulic and caffeic acids (Li & Zhou, 2012). These compounds possess documented anti‑inflammatory and analgesic properties that support the traditional use for headache and febrile conditions.
Modern research continues to explore Actaea heracleifolia extracts for neuroprotective and antioxidant effects (Kwon et al., 2019), and standardized rhizome extracts are now sold as herbal supplements in several Asian markets, maintaining the herb’s relevance both in contemporary therapeutic studies and in ongoing traditional practice.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
No commercial or industrial products are reported in reliable sources for this species.
Industrial and craft applications:
No established uses are documented.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
No culinary uses are recorded.
Colorants and tanning:
No tannin or dye use is documented.
Wood and fiber:
No timber or fiber uses are reported.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No fragrance or cosmetic use is documented.
Properties relevant to use:
No specific physical or chemical properties relevant to non-medicinal applications are reported.
Standards and regulation:
No standards or regulatory frameworks are documented for this taxon’s non-medicinal uses.
Sustainability and sourcing:
No sustainability or sourcing information is documented for non-medicinal applications.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Cimicifuga heracleifolia | Kom. | Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 18: 438 (1900) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Azerbaijani | baldırğanyarpaq simisifuqa |
| German | bärenklau-silberkerze |
| Korean | 승마 |
| li | zilverkaes |
| Chinese | 大三叶升麻 |
| Chinese | 大三葉昇麻 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
China
- China North-central
- China South-central
- Inner Mongolia
- Manchuria
-
Eastern Asia
- Korea
-
Russian Far East
- Primorye
-
China
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000519086 |
| UNII | 66ST7023OX |
| Tropicos | 50213138 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1002904-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2620540 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 988745 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 64034 |
| IPNI | 1002904-1 |
| iNaturalist | 742169 |
| GBIF | 5616598 |
| USDA GRIN | 431515 |
| Wikipedia | Actaea_heracleifolia |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Benzene and substituted derivatives / Benzoic acids and derivatives / p-Hydroxybenzoic acid esters / p-Hydroxybenzoic acid alkyl esters | |||||
| 2-[(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxybenzoyl)oxybutanedioic acid | 75149133 | Click to see | 392.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| [(1R)-1-[(1S,6R,7R,8R,10R,12R,13R,14R,18S,20S)-12,13-dihydroxy-6,8,14,19,19-pentamethyl-11,23-dioxahexacyclo[18.2.1.01,18.03,15.06,14.07,12]tricos-3(15)-en-10-yl]-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl] acetate | 100936509 | Click to see CC1CC(OC2(C1C3(CCC4=C(C3(C2O)C)CCC5C(C6CCC5(C4)O6)(C)C)C)O)C(C(C)(C)O)OC(=O)C | 546.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| [1-(12,13-Dihydroxy-6,8,14,19,19-pentamethyl-11,23-dioxahexacyclo[18.2.1.01,18.03,15.06,14.07,12]tricos-3(15)-en-10-yl)-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl] acetate | 73999265 | Click to see | 546.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| 22-(2-Hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24,25-trioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.19,12.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12]pentacos-4(14)-en-2-ol | 74041807 | Click to see | 486.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Cycloartanols and derivatives | |||||
| (1R,2R,3R,7R,9S,12R,14R,17R,18R,19R,21R,22S)-22-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracos-4-ene-2,9-diol | 162995574 | Click to see | 486.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| (1R,2R,3R,7R,9S,12R,14R,17R,18R,19R,22S)-22-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracos-4-ene-2,9-diol | 163194585 | Click to see CC1CC2C(OC3(C1C4(CCC56CC57CCC(C(C7CC=C6C4(C3O)C)(C)C)O)C)O2)C(C)(C)O | 486.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| (1R,2R,3R,7S,12R,14R,17R,18R,19R,21R,22R)-2-hydroxy-22-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracos-4-en-9-one | 162860348 | Click to see | 484.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| (1R,2R,7S,17R,18R,19R,21R,22R)-2-hydroxy-22-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracos-4-en-9-one | 163189573 | Click to see CC1CC2C(OC3(C1C4(CCC56CC57CCC(=O)C(C7CC=C6C4(C3O)C)(C)C)C)O2)C(C)(C)O | 484.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| (23R,24S)-3beta-(beta-D-Xylopyranosyloxy)-9beta,19-cyclo-16beta,23-epoxy-5alpha-lanost-7-ene-15alpha,16,24,25-tetraol 24-acetate | 100936497 | Click to see | 678.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.59.1243 |
| (2S,3R,4S,5R)-2-[[(9S,12R,14S,17R)-2-hydroxy-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-22-prop-1-en-2-yl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracosan-9-yl]oxy]oxane-3,4,5-triol | 6324929 | Click to see | 602.80 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7090668/ |
| [(1R)-1-[(1R,4R,5R,6R,8R,10R,11R,12R,16R,18S,21R)-10,11-dihydroxy-4,6,12,17,17-pentamethyl-18-[(2S,3R,4S,5R)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxy-9-oxahexacyclo[11.9.0.01,21.04,12.05,10.016,21]docos-13-en-8-yl]-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl] acetate | 100936502 | Click to see | 678.80 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.59.1243 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| [1-[10,11-Dihydroxy-4,6,12,17,17-pentamethyl-18-(3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl)oxy-9-oxahexacyclo[11.9.0.01,21.04,12.05,10.016,21]docos-13-en-8-yl]-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropyl] acetate | 75111071 | Click to see | 678.80 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.59.1243 |
| 2-[(1R,2R,3R,7R,9S,12R,14R,17R,18R,19R,21R,22S)-2,9-dihydroxy-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracos-4-en-22-yl]propan-2-yl acetate | 162929349 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| 2-[(1R,2R,3R,7R,9S,12R,14R,17R,18R,19R,22S)-2,9-dihydroxy-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracos-4-en-22-yl]propan-2-yl acetate | 163189355 | Click to see | 528.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| 2-[(2-Hydroxy-3,8,8,17,19-pentamethyl-22-prop-1-en-2-yl-23,24-dioxaheptacyclo[19.2.1.01,18.03,17.04,14.07,12.012,14]tetracosan-9-yl)oxy]oxane-3,4,5-triol | 73208053 | Click to see CC1CC2C(OC3(C1C4(CCC56CC57CCC(C(C7CCC6C4(C3O)C)(C)C)OC8C(C(C(CO8)O)O)O)C)O2)C(=C)C | 602.80 | unknown | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7090668/ |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| (-)-beta-Sitosterol | 222284 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| 17-(5-ethyl-6-methylheptan-2-yl)-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,11,12,14,15,16,17-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-3-ol | 86821 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)O)C)C)C(C)C | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| Stigmast-5-en-3-ol | 22012 | Click to see | 414.70 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / Phenolic glycosides | |||||
| (2R,3R)-3-hydroxy-2-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2-[(E)-3-[3-methoxy-4-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]prop-2-enoyl]oxybutanedioic acid | 163192944 | Click to see | 594.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| [4-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-3-methoxyphenyl] 3-[3-methoxy-4-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]prop-2-enoate | 75149190 | Click to see | 506.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| Shomaside E | 46210035 | Click to see | 506.50 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indoles / 3-alkylindoles | |||||
| (3S)-3-[(E)-2-methylbut-2-enyl]-1,3-dihydroindol-2-one | 163190466 | Click to see CC=C(C)CC1C2=CC=CC=C2NC1=O | 201.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| 3-(2-Methylbut-2-enyl)-1,3-dihydroindol-2-one | 163019364 | Click to see | 201.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Coumaric acids and derivatives | |||||
| (2R,3S)-3-[3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-2-hydroxy-2-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]butanedioic acid | 162869894 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C=CC(=O)OC(C(=O)O)C(CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)(C(=O)O)O)OC | 446.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| 2-[(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)methyl]-2-hydroxy-3-[3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]butanedioic acid | 78410702 | Click to see | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| 3-[3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy]-2-hydroxy-2-[(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]butanedioic acid | 73082224 | Click to see | 418.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| Cimicifugic acid A | 6449879 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C=CC(=O)OC(C(=O)O)C(CC2=CC(=C(C=C2)O)O)(C(=O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| Cimicifugic Acid B | 6449880 | Click to see | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| Cimicifugic Acid D | 11742743 | Click to see | 418.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| Cimicifugic acid E | 10002902 | Click to see | 432.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| Cimicifugic acid J | 46209911 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C=CC(=O)OC(C(=O)O)C(CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)(C(=O)O)O | 462.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP900675N |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Cinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives / Hydroxycinnamic acids | |||||
| 3-(3-Hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)-acrylic acid | 92126 | Click to see COC1=C(C=C(C=C1)C=CC(=O)O)O | 194.18 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
| Isoferulic Acid | 736186 | Click to see | 194.18 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1248/CPB.41.832 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |