OTTAWA, Ontario—Certain “black cohosh” products linked to liver-associated adverse reactions in Canada appear to have been adulterated with related botanicals, according to a new report in the Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter (2010; 20(1)). The authors, from Health Canada, analyzed six reports of serious liver adverse reactions suspected of being associated with black cohosh between January 2005 and March 2009; however, further analysis of the products found no black cohosh in four products. The remaining two products were not authorized for sale in Canada, so data on the botanical ingredients was not available.
“The first step in making an association between any product and a reported adverse event must be to confirm the product’s identity,” stated Steven Dentali, chief science officer, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). “Herbal manufacturers in compliance with current good manufacturing practice must ensure the identity of all ingredients and can therefore protect against inadvertent use of other cohosh species,” he added. Dentali added, “This analysis by Health Canada has shown that authentic black cohosh was not involved in the cited cases, and calls into question all earlier adverse event reports purportedly associated with this herb.”
