Rhodiola Rosea P.E.

Latin name: Rhodiola Rosea L.

Chinese name: Hong Jing Tian

Family: Crassulaceae

Genus: Rhodiola

1.1  Shape:  Perennial herbaceous, with height 15—35cm. The root of which is 20—50cm long, is coarse and strong, standing in straight or tilting. Light yellow on the surface of young root, and brown on the surface of old root. The seed presents round shape, with length about 2mm. Florescence: April to June; Fruit period: July to Sep. 

1.2  Gathering:  Should be done in Autumn when the leaves turn withered. Remove broken stem and mud, keep it dry in the sunshine directly. Not good to gather it in spring, due to the content of Rosavins in earlier stage of sprouting & blossom is only 50% of that in fruit period. 

1.3  Distribution:  Most of the Rhodiola Rosea L. plants grow in hilly area with limestone, & granite, in glacier, grassland or in the rock of ravine, with altitude of 3500—5000m, of which distributing widely in Siberia and northern America. Iin China it is mainly distribute in northern east of China, generally in hillside or grass slope with altitude of 1600—2700m. 

There are over 40 kinds of compounds in Rhodiola Rosea L., mainly as phenylpropanoids, namely Rosavins including rosavin,rosin and rosarin.

Rosavins:  As one of the effective ingredients in Rhodiola, Rovasins belong to the kind of phenylethyl glycosides, and the content is between 0.5—1.5% in Rhodiola rosea. It’s proved by study that the Rosavins have pharmaceutical effect for anti-fatigue, anti-oxidant and stimulating central nervous system , etc. 

3.1  Improving immunity and anti-cancer activity

The immune system in two ways by Rosavins:  First, by specific direct stimulation of immune defense.  Rhodiola Rosea L. extract normalizes the immune system by improving T-cell immunity.  It has been shown to increase the body’s resistance to toxins that may accumulate during infection development.  Second, by making the body less susceptible to stress. Rhodiola Rosea L. extract can also enhance B cell immunity by preventing the suppression of B cell immunity. The scientists from Russia found out that 39% of the tumor growing in big rat with experiment were inhibited and 50% of the tumor transferring in big rat were reduced by taking Rhodiola Rosea L. extract orally.  It’s helpful to improve urinary tissue and immunity for those who suffer from bladder cancer.  In all the experiments to other kinds of cancer, including gland carcinoma (such as breast cancer, etc.) and tumor in lung, Rhodiola Rosea L. extract appears great rising in survival ratio. 

3.2   Anti-depression

Rosavins enhances the transport of serotonin precursors, tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan into the brain.  Unbalanced serotonin has been linked to various abnormal mental states such as clinical depression.  Rosavins has been used by Russian scientists alone or in combination with anti-depressants to boost one’s mental state.  In one experiment to 128 patients who take Rosavins, 65% of them more or less reduce or remove depression effectively. 

3.3   Cardio-protective Activity

Rosavins has been shown to moderate stress-induced damage and dysfunction in cardiovascular tissues.  Treatment with it prevents the decrease in cardiac contractile force secondary to environmental stress in the form of acute cooling and contributes to stable contractility.  Pretreatment with Rhodiola Rosea extract appears to create a beneficial adaptive response in this type of stress. 

3.4   Anti-oxidant Activity

Rhodiola has potent antioxidant properties.  By limiting the adverse effects of free radical damage, it’s able to combat diseases associated with aging.