Rhodiola Extract

                                   
English Name:Rhodiola Extract

Latin Name:Rhodiola Rosea

Other Name:Golden Root; Roseroot; Roseroot Crenulin; Russian Rhodiola

 

[Specification]

  1. Salidroside 1~5%  HPLC





  2. Rosavins 1~5%  HPLC



[Appearance]

  Yellow Powder

 

[Description]

  Rhodiola Root is a native of the arctic regions of eastern Siberia and may also be found in the mountainous regions of Asia and Europe at altitudes of eleven- to eighteen-thousand feet above sea level. The herb grows to about two and a half feet in height, and the fragrance of its flowers is similar to attar of roses, which is the reason it was given its botanical specific, rosea, and one of its common names, Roseroot. Rhodiola Root is a perennial plant with red, pink or yellowish flowers and has no biological relation to the "common" rose, but due to its similar fragrance, it has been used as a substitute for attar of roses.

Its use in herbal medicine reaches back for centuries: Dioscorides, the Greek physician, reported on its use in his treatise De Materia Medica, and The Emperor of China organized expeditions to Siberia to bring back this highly valued plant. Rhodiola Root was used by the Vikings to enhance their physical stamina and strength and has long been used in traditional medicine, primarily in Russia and Scandinavia and by other people of the North, to treat fatigue, poor physical endurance, nervous system disorders and infections, and to enhance fertility. Rhodiola was included in the first Swedish Pharmacopeia, and in the 1930s, extensive research began in Russia, Scandinavia and Germany to seek the secrets of the "Golden Root" that had been used for centuries as an anti-ageing miracle that helped the people of Siberia cope with the cold climate and stressful life. In recent history, Rhodiola Root has been widely used by Russian athletes and cosmonauts to increase energy.

Some of the constituents in Rhodiola Root include glycosides (rosavin, rosin, and rosarin) and monoterpenes (rosiridin and salidroside), as well as flavonoids (rodiolin, rodionin, rodiosin, acetylrodalgin, tricin); triterpenes (daucosterol, beta-sitosterol) and phenolic acids (chlorogenic, hydroxycinnamic and gallic acids).

 

[Parts Used]

  Root

 

[Functions]

1. Improve Immunity

Rosavins stimulates the immune system in two ways: FIRST - by specific direct stimulation of immune defence (stimulates one of the most important type of immune cells - Natural Killer Cells, NK-Cells seek and destroy the infected cells on the body). Rhodiola extract normalizes the immune system by improving T-cell immunity 2,4 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. When we are chronically exposed to stress that continually robs energy from other systems, the general effect is a lowered immune response and decreased health. 5 Rhodiola extract can also enhance B cell immunity by preventing the suppression of B cell immunity, which can occur during stress.

 

2. Depression

In animal studies, extracts of rhodiola rosea, namely rosavin and salidroside, seem to enhance the transport of serotonin precursors, tryptophan, and 5-hydroxytryptophan into the brain. 2 Serotonin is a widely studied brain neurotransmitter chemical involved in many functions. Unbalanced serotonin has been linked to various abnormal mental states such as clinical depression. 5 Thus rhodiola has been used by Russian scientists alone or in combination with antidepressants to boost one's mental state, a boon in countries and seasons where one is deprived of adequate sun over prolonged periods of months. 6 (e.g., SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, common to Northern European countries.) In an open clinical trial of Extract of Rhodiola rosea's ability to alleviate symptoms of depression, 128 patients were given extract of Rhodiola rosea. The Rhodiola rosea extract was effective in reducing or removing symptoms of depression in 65% of the patients. 1 

 

3. Cardioprotective Activity 

Rhodiola rosea extract has been shown to moderate stress-induced damage and dysfunction in cardiovascular tissues. Treatment with Rhodiola rosea extract prevents the decrease in cardiac contractile force secondary to environmental stress in the form of acute cooling and contributes to stable contractility. 7 Pretreatment with Rhodiola rosea extract appears to create a beneficial adaptive response in this type of stress. When Rhodiola pretreated rats were exposed to acute cooling, the decrease in contractility was prevented and stable contractility of heart tissue occurred during perfusion.3

Other reports suggest administration of Rhodiola rosea extract protects cardiovascular tissue from stress-induced catecholamine release 5 and mitigates adrenaline-induced arrhythmias in rats.4,8 The antiarrhythmic effect of Rhodiola rosea extract is suggested to be secondary to an ability to induce opioid peptide biosynthesis 1  and related to the stimulation of peripheral kappa-opioid receptors. 6 Rhodiola Rosea extract has also been shown to be effective for cardiac problems caused or aggravated by stress. Its action for these conditions is in its ability to decrease the amount of catecholamines and corticosteroids released by the adrenal glands during stress. The abnormal presence of these stress hormones will subsequently raise blood pressure, cholesterol, potassium levels and increase risk factors for heart disease. Rhodiola has been found to decrease harmful blood lipids and thus decrease the risk of heart disease. It also decreases the amount of cyclic-AMP (c-AMP) released into cardiac cells. Cyclic AMP is related to ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body's primary energy molecule. C-AMP acts as a 'second messenger' or liaison between the outer and inner environments of the cell. It assists in the uptake of more intracellular calcium into the heart thus promoting a greater potential for heart muscle contraction. Rhodiola thus regulates the heart beat and counteracts heart arrhythmias. 3,9

 

4.Potent Antioxidant

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

 

5. Improve performance

Like Siberian ginseng, Extract of Rhodiola Rosea is routinely used by athletes to improve performance. While the mechanism is not completely understood, it seems to improve the ratio of muscle/fat and increases hemoglovin and erythrocytes levels in the blood. 

 

6. Anticancer Activity

Administration of Rhodiola rosea extract appears to have potential as an anticancer agent, and might be useful in conjunction with some pharmaceutical antitumor agents. In rats with transplanted solid Ehrlich adenocarcinoma and metastasizing rat Pliss lymphosarcoma, supplementation with Rhodiola rosea extract inhibited the growth of both tumor types, decreased metastasis to the liver, and extended survival times.7  Administration of Rhodiola rosea extract also directly suppressed the growth of and the extent of metastasis from transplanted Lewis lung carcinomas. 5 When Rhodiola rosea extract was combined with the antitumor agent cyclophosphamide in these same tumor models, the antitumor and antimetastatic efficacy of drug treatment was enhanced. The presence of free radicals is associated with cell mutagenicity, the immediate cause of cancer. Again, Russian researchers have found that the oral administration of rhodiola inhibited tumor growth in rats by 39 percent and decreased metastasis by 50 percent. It improved urinary tissue and immunity in patients suffering with bladder cancer.2 In other experiments with various types of cancer, including adenocarcinoma (cancer of glandular tissue such as breast cancer) and lung carcinoma, the use of orhodiola rosea extract resulted in significant increased survival rate.10 

 

7. Sexuality Enhancement

Rhodiola rosea extract has been used to enhance sexuality for a long history in Russia and Far East cultures. In a study of 35 men suffering from weak erection, premature ejaculation, or both were treated with 100-150mg Rhodiola rosea extract in an open clinical trial that lasted for three months. 26 of the 35 patients recognized a substantial improvement in sexual function as a result of the treatment. 7

 

8. Memory Boost

A placebo-controlled study of Rhodiola rosea extract's effects on intellectual performance employed 120 subjects who took a proofreading test. Test subjects took the test both before and after administration of the Rhodiola rosea extract or placebo. The test group experienced significant improvement in their scores while the control group did not. Members of each group were continually tested for their ability to perform on the proofreading test for 24 hours after administration of the extract or placebo. The control group experienced a large increase in the number of errors made in the proofreading test while the group receiving Rhodiola rosea extract experienced performance decline to a much lesser extent.

 

[Contraindications]

  Currently, there are no known warnings or contraindications with the use of Rhodiola Root, but because there is limited clinical information, it would be wise for pregnant and nursing women to consult their physicians before using.