American Indian botanicals: possible alternatives to hormone therapy during menopause

Although pharmaceutical hormone therapy (HT) remains the standard clinical treatment for managing menopausal symptoms, many women seek alternatives such as botanical dietary supplements since HT has been associated with increased risk of breast cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke. The leading botanicals that women take for menopause are black cohosh and red clover, which were also traditionally used by American Indians. Although these two botanicals have been investigated extensively, there are still numerous American Indian plants that lack scientific studies on their safety and efficacy. Amorpha canescens Pursh. (Fabaceae) – leadplant, Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray (Cucurbitaceae) – wild cucumber, and Silphium perfoliatum L. (Asteraceae) - cup plant inflorescent tissue were examined for estrogenic, chemopreventive, and anti-inflammatory potential in initial screenings based on American Indian ethnobotany and published biological data. Leadplant MeOH extract was selected as the best candidate for bioassay-guided fractionation due to high anti-estrogenic activity in the Ishikawa cell-based assay and anti-inflammatory activity in the Griess assay. Cup plant and Lespedeza capitata Mixch. (Fabaceae) – roundhead lespedeza (chosen from the other 12 species) are being pursued as alternatives due to significant anti-estrogenic and estrogenic activity, respectively. This project will identify possible novel and effective drug leads for menopausal symptoms, cancer, and inflammation and provide support for American Indian traditional knowledge.