Rosavins

Other Names

(2E)-3-Phenyl-2-propen-1-yl 6-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-α-D-glucopyranoside(2E)-3-Phenylprop-2-en-1-yl 6-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-(cinnamyloxy)-6-((((2S,3R,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxytetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)methyl)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4,5-triol(2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[(E)-3-Phenylprop-2-enoxy]-6-[[(2S,3R,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxan-2-yl]oxymethyl]oxane-3,4,5-triol(E)-3-Phenyl-2-propenyl 6-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosideCAS 84954-92-7ChEBI:139523Cinnamyl alcohol diglycosideCinnamyl alcohol glycosidesPhenylpropanoid glycosidesPhenylpropanoid glycosides of Rhodiola roseaPubChem CID 9823887RINHYCZCUGCZAJ-IPXOVKFZSA-NRosavidinRosavinα-D-Glucopyranoside, (2E)-3-phenyl-2-propen-1-yl 6-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-β-D-Glucopyranoside, (2E)-3-phenyl-2-propen-1-yl 6-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-

Synopsis

Rosavins: A Comprehensive Reference

1. Identity: Botanical Source, Chemical Names, and Natural Forms

1.1 Botanical Source

Rosavin and its related glycosides of cinnamyl alcohol — including rosin and rosarin — are key chemical constituents of Rhodiola rosea L. (R. rosea). Rosavin is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C₂₀H₂₈O₁₀, and it is a diglycoside of cinnamyl alcohol. Rhodiola rosea L. (RRL), which belongs to a perennial herbaceous plant of the family Crassulaceae, is a kind of traditional precious herbal medicine and has been used as an adaptogen, supplement, medicine, or functional food for a long time in Asia and Europe.

Rosavin production is specific to R. rosea and R. sachalinensis, and the biosynthesis of these glycosides occurs spontaneously in Rhodiola roots and rhizomes. Salidroside has been identified in several species of the Rhodiola genus, including R. crenulata, R. rosea, R. sachalinensis, and R. kirilowii, while rosavin has been isolated specifically from the roots of R. rosea and R. sachalinensis (in smaller amounts). This species-specificity makes rosavins the defining chemotaxonomic markers of authentic R. rosea.

Rhodiola rosea is a flowering perennial plant found in Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Known by several other names — including roseroot, rosenroot, golden root, and arctic root — this member of the Crassulaceae family has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, with the Greek physician Dioscorides describing medicinal application in 77 AD.

1.2 The Rosavin Group: Three Constituent Compounds

Salidroside and rosavins (rosavin, rosarin, and rosin) are the biologically active compounds of Rhodiola rosea L. The three rosavins differ structurally in their sugar substituents:

Rosavin — the principal compound; consists of a trans-cinnamyl alcohol aglycone linked via a glycosidic bond to a disaccharide comprising β-D-glucopyranose and α-L-arabinopyranose. The glucose unit is substituted at its C-6 hydroxyl group with the arabinose moiety, forming the diglycoside structure that distinguishes rosavin from related compounds like rosin and rosarin.
Rosarin — formed from rosin by the addition of an arabinofuranose unit at the same position.
Rosin — the simpler glycoside of cinnamyl alcohol containing a glucose molecule, whereas in the case of rosavin and rosarin an extra arabinose or arabinofuranose is present.

The production of rosavins increases in plants as they get older, and the amount of the cinnamyl alcohol glycosides depends on the place of origin of the plant.

1.3 Common Names and Synonyms

Rhodiola rosea (R. rosea), also known as Golden Root, Rose Root Rosavin, Rosenroot, Rhodiola Rhizome, Arctic Root, and Rhidola, is an herb that grows in high-altitude, high-latitude, typically mountainous regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. The term "rosavins" is used collectively for all three cinnamyl alcohol glycosides — rosavin, rosarin, and rosin — and this collective designation is the standard used in pharmacopeial quality control and supplement standardization.

1.4 Dosage Forms and Preparations

Arctic root preparations are obtained from dried extracts prepared by ethanol extraction (a technique used to extract compounds from plant material by dissolving them in ethanol). Herbal medicines containing arctic root are usually available in solid forms to be taken by mouth.

Oral administration is the primary route of administering R. rosea and its related preparations. However, a significant portion of these drugs are rapidly cleared in the gastrointestinal tract when taken orally, leading to premature metabolism before reaching their targeted site of action.

R. rosea-based supplements are recognized as beneficial for managing physical and mental stress in the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) consolidated list of Article 13 health claims. Moreover, R. rosea root extracts can be found in functional foods, sports and energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, as well as the cosmetic industry.

1.5 Pharmacopeial Standards and Standardization

The latest edition of the European Pharmacopoeia (11th edition, 2023) emphasizes the quality assessment of R. rosea-based products by considering the content of marker compounds, salidroside and rosavins, in a ratio not lower than 1:3. The United States Pharmacopeia guidelines assess the quality mark for the raw material as containing not less than 0.3% of the phenylpropanoid glycosides rosarin, rosavin, and rosin (these three compounds are collectively referred to as "rosavins") calculated as rosavin, and not less than 0.08% of salidroside, calculated on a dry weight basis.

Currently, conventional R. rosea compounds utilized in clinical applications maintain a 3:1 ratio, with at least 3% rosavins and 0.8–1% salidroside.

HPLC analysis of plant material from different sources and from different collection periods showed great variability in the composition and in the amount of pharmacologically active compounds contained. Concentrations of rosavins and salidroside in commercial products ranged from 0.01% to 3.08% and 0.07% to 2.91%, respectively, including substantial aberrations from advertised biomarker amounts. HPTLC profiling revealed that the characteristic marker compound, rosavin, was absent in 8 products claiming to contain Rhodiola rosea.

2. Traditional and Historical Use

2.1 Ancient Greco-Roman Records

This member of the Crassulaceae family has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, with the Greek physician Dioscorides describing medicinal application in 77 AD. In Materia Medica (Linne, 1749), Rhodiola root has been recommended for the treatment of hysteria, headaches, hernias, and discharges.

2.2 Siberian and Russian Folk Medicine

The traditional use of R. rosea as a tonic in Siberian and Russian medicine stimulated extensive research leading to identification of R. rosea as an adaptogen — a substance that nonspecifically increases the resistance of an organism and does not disturb normal biological processes.

Rhodiola rosea L. has a long history of use in traditional medicine to stimulate the nervous system, treat stress-induced fatigue and depression, enhance physical performance and work productivity, and treat gastrointestinal ailments and impotence.

2.3 Scandinavian and Icelandic Traditions

The herb Rhodiola rosea, sometimes called roseroot, golden root, or arctic root, has been used traditionally in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, as well as Eastern Europe and Asia, as a "tonic herb" said to fight fatigue, aid convalescence from illness, prevent infections, and enhance sexual function.

2.4 Central Asian and Mongolian Use

In Middle Asia, tea prepared from R. rosea is used as a remedy against colds and influenza. It is recommended for the treatment of cancer and tuberculosis in Mongolia.

2.5 Soviet-Era Scientific Classification

In 2011, the European Medicines Agency approved its use for stress-related symptoms. In the twentieth century, Soviet physicians classified rhodiola as an adaptogen. It belongs to the family of Crassulaceae with notoriety for stimulating physical endurance, attention span, memory, and work productivity.

2.6 Discovery of Rosavins as Specific Markers

Rosavin was first isolated from RRL root by Russian botanists and chemists, who named the compound "Rosavin" because of a rose-like aroma, and found it had antifatigue and antistress effects. Initially, salidroside was considered the primary active constituent of R. rosea. However, in the 1980s, Soviet researchers identified rosavin, rosarin, and rosin as chemotaxonomic markers unique to R. rosea and closely related species.

3. Chemical Identity and Biosynthesis

3.1 Structural Classification

Rosavins are a group of phenylpropanoid glycosides — rosavin, rosarin, and rosin — found almost exclusively in Rhodiola rosea among all Rhodiola species. Cinnamyl alcohol glycosides are products of phenylpropanoid metabolism, derived from phenylalanine, which is produced from the shikimic–chorismic acid pathway.

3.2 Biosynthetic Pathway

The biosynthesis of rosavins proceeds through a well-characterized phenylpropanoid cascade. In the first step of rosavin synthesis, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) converts phenylalanine to cinnamic acid. From cinnamic acid, cinnamyl-CoA ester is formed through hydroxycinnamate:CoA ligase (4CL). This CoA ester is reduced to cinnamaldehyde by cinnamyl-CoA reductase (CCR). The cinnamaldehyde is further reduced by cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) to cinnamyl alcohol.

The binding of glucose to cinnamyl alcohol results in rosin formation, which is the simplest cinnamyl alcohol glycoside. Finally, rosavin and rosarin can be formed from rosin by the connection of an arabinopyranose and arabinofuranose unit, respectively.

Notably, the biosynthetic pathway of rosavin in R. rosea has not been fully elucidated, although the complete pathway of salidroside, another active component in R. rosea, was elucidated in 2018.

3.3 Other Constituents of the Whole Plant

The investigation of the phytochemistry of Rhodiola rosea root has revealed the presence of six distinct groups of chemical compounds: phenylpropanoids (rosavin, rosin, rosarin, specific to Rhodiola rosea); phenylethanol derivatives (salidroside/rhodioloside, tyrosol); flavonoids (rodiolin, rodionin, rodiosin, acetylrodalgin, tricin); monoterpenes (rosiridol, rosaridin); triterpenes (daucosterol, beta-sitosterol); and phenolic acids (chlorogenic and hydroxycinnamic, gallic acids).

The plant has a complex composition; ≥140 different types of active ingredients have been isolated, including tannins, vitamins, fats, proteins, essential amino acids (17 types — including seven that the human body is unable to synthesize), sterols, and glycosides.

4. Mechanisms of Action

4.1 Overview

Phenolic compounds — phenylpropanoids rosavin, rosarin, and rosin, tyrosol glucoside salidroside, and tyrosol — are responsible for the biological action of R. rosea, exerting antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-aging, and anti-fatigue activities. R. rosea extract formulations are used as alternative remedies to enhance mental and cognitive functions and protect the central nervous system and heart during stress.

4.2 Monoaminergic Neurotransmitter Modulation

The antidepressant properties of Rhodiola rosea are characterized by a multifaceted mechanism of action indicative of its extensive phytochemical composition. This botanical agent influences the monoaminergic system by elevating the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in critical cerebral regions associated with mood.

Bioactive constituents of R. rosea, including salidroside, rosavin, and flavonoid/phenolic compounds, enhance monoaminergic neurotransmission by increasing the availability of serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), and dopamine (DA) in key brain regions involved in mood regulation, thereby promoting stress resilience.

Rosavins appear to contribute to rhodiola's adaptogenic, antidepressant, and cognitive effects, likely through interactions with monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems and HPA axis modulation — though their mechanisms remain less completely characterized than those of salidroside.

4.3 HPA Axis Modulation

Rhodiola's adaptogenic effect increases attention and endurance in situations of decreased performance caused by fatigue and sensation of weakness, and reduces stress-induced impairments and disorders related to the function of neuroendocrine and immune systems. The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is a central component of this activity. Pre- versus post-treatment cortisol responses to awakening stress were significantly different in the treatment group compared with the control group. It was concluded that repeated administration of R. rosea extract SHR-5 exerts an anti-fatigue effect that increases mental performance, particularly the ability to concentrate, and decreases cortisol response to awakening stress in burnout patients with fatigue syndrome.

4.4 Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms

Rosavin attenuated LPS-induced activation of the TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells and inhibited LPS-induced release of inflammatory factors in A549 cells. This in vitro finding points to rosavin's potential to modulate innate immune signaling pathways.

4.5 Antioxidant Activity

Rosavin has anti-microbial, antioxidant, and different protective effects, including neuroprotective effects against various neurodegenerative ailments such as mild cognitive disorders, neuropathic pain, depression, and stress, as well as gastroprotective, osteoprotective, pulmoprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. This protective effect of rosavin is due to its capability to diminish inflammation and oxidative stress.

4.6 Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation

Rosavin was more active at higher concentrations than salidroside; while salidroside was more effective at lower concentrations. Standardized content of active markers is necessary for the quality control of herbal preparations containing R. rosea extracts but is insufficient for assessment of their potential efficacy. Additional bioassays are needed to assure reproducible pharmacological activity of R. rosea extracts; therefore, long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission in hippocampus slices may serve as a validation tool for quality control.

4.7 CYP450 Enzyme Interactions

It was suggested that these phenolic compounds (rosavin, rosarin, rosin, salidroside/rhodioloside, and tyrosol) have no impact on activity of CYP450 enzymes and do not inhibit CYP3A4, CYP2D6, or CYP1A2. However, the presence of minor amounts of herbacetin rhamnosides (rhodiosin and rhodionin) may presumably induce inhibition of CYP2D6 in some commercial preparations of Rhodiola.

5. Scientific Evidence by Area of Use

5.1 Mental Fatigue and Cognitive Performance

The majority of studies on R. rosea are related to the efficacy of cognitive functions and mental performance, including various symptoms of life-stress, fatigue, and burnout.

One of the most cited clinical investigations examined the effects of standardized R. rosea extract on fatigued medical professionals. Darbinyan et al. investigated the effect of the chronic administration of 170 mg of standardized R. rosea rhizome extract on aspects of mental performance and fatigue on 56 healthy male and female physicians (aged 24–35) on night duty for 14 days. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over study with a wash-out period, total mental performance was measured by calculating a Fatigue Index that reflected on the outcomes of complex perceptive and cognitive cerebral functions, such as associative thinking, attention capacity, speed of visual and auditory perception, and short-term memory.

Orally administered for 2–6 weeks, a dry SHR-5 extract prepared with 70% (v/v) ethanol and administered in daily doses of 288–680 mg (1–4 tablets) has been shown to improve mood, cognitive performance and attention, and to relieve fatigue in stress-related conditions.

A placebo-controlled parallel-group study in burnout subjects concluded that significant post-treatment improvements were observed for both groups (placebo effect) in Pines' burnout scale, mental health (SF-36), MADRS, and several CCPT II indices of attention, namely omissions, commissions, and Hit RT SE. When the two groups were compared, significant effects of the SHR-5 extract in comparison with the placebo were observed in Pines' burnout scale and the CCPT II indices omissions, Hit RT SE, and variability.

A systematic review of the evidence found mixed results: of 206 articles identified in a search of six electronic databases, 11 met inclusion criteria. Ten were described as RCTs and one as a CCT. Research regarding R. rosea efficacy was found to be contradictory.

Strength of evidence: Moderate for short-term anti-fatigue effects in standardized-extract RCTs, but the overall evidence base is limited by small sample sizes, heterogeneous preparations, and methodological variability.

5.2 Stress and Burnout

Investigating the effects of R. rosea on burnout-related symptoms, Olsson et al. demonstrated the superiority of R. rosea extract over placebo in alleviating mental fatigue as measured by the Pines burnout scale. A German noninterventional study conducted in 128 general practitioner practices including 330 patients with two or more burnout indicator symptoms also reported a considerable alleviation of these symptoms after the administration of R. rosea extract for 8 weeks.

The HMPC (Herbal Medicines Committee of the EMA) concluded that, on the basis of its long-standing use, arctic root can be used for the temporary relief of symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and sensation of weakness. Arctic root medicines should only be used in adults over the age of 18 years and should not be taken for longer than two weeks without seeking medical advice.

Strength of evidence: The EMA's classification is based on "traditional use," not established efficacy from pivotal RCTs. Clinical data are encouraging but limited in scope.

5.3 Depression

Rhodiola rosea is a botanical adaptogen with putative anti-stress and antidepressant properties. Evidence-based data supporting the effectiveness of R. rosea for depression in adults is limited, and therefore a comprehensive review of available animal and human studies suggesting a putative antidepressant role is warranted.

A randomized, 12-week, phase II study compared R. rosea extract directly against sertraline. This phase II randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial involved 57 individuals who were randomized to 12 weeks of a standardized extract of Rhodiola rosea, sertraline, or placebo. The Rhodiola rosea was a 340 mg powdered extract standardized to 3.07% rosavin.

Overall, results of these studies suggest a possible antidepressant action for R. rosea extract in adult humans. In contrast to most conventional antidepressants, R. rosea extract appears to be well-tolerated in short-term studies with a favorable safety profile.

Few controlled clinical trials have examined the safety and efficacy of R. rosea for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). A 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study design was developed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of R. rosea in MDD.

Strength of evidence: Preliminary. Existing clinical data in depression are derived from small trials. The compound warrants larger, adequately powered RCTs before definitive clinical conclusions can be drawn.

5.4 Physical Performance and Exercise

In an endurance exercise performance test, 24 healthy volunteers who were treated with 100 mg of R. rosea extract (containing 3% rosavin + 1% salidroside) exhibited significant (p<0.05) increases in time to exhaustion, VO₂, VCO₂, peak O₂ output, and peak CO₂ output.

Various studies involving young healthy human subjects have shown that chronic R. rosea supplementation can diminish mental fatigue as indicated by improvement in the results of tests involving complex perceptive and cognitive cerebral functions. Nonetheless, no improvements in exercise performance parameters were observed in humans after chronic R. rosea ingestion in several independent studies.

Strength of evidence: Mixed. Acute dosing may show modest effects on endurance parameters, but chronic supplementation has not consistently improved objective exercise outcomes in controlled studies.

5.5 Anti-inflammatory and Pulmonary Protective Effects

Rosavin is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant phenylpropanoid and glucoside, which is isolated from Rhodiola rosea L. Rosavin attenuated LPS-induced activation of the TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells and inhibited LPS-induced release of inflammatory factors in A549 cells. These experiments were conducted in vitro and in animal models of acute lung injury, not in human clinical trials.

Strength of evidence: Preclinical only. No human clinical trials specifically examining rosavin for pulmonary or systemic inflammatory conditions have been published.

5.6 Metabolic Effects: Liver, Kidney, and Glucose Metabolism

High-sucrose high-fat diet-induced NASH rats were treated with different concentrations of rosavin (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg/day) for four weeks. The data revealed that rosavin had the ability to modulate the expression of hepatic cell death-related RNA, and rosavin ameliorated the deterioration in both liver functions and lipid profile, thereby improving hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and apoptosis.

Different studies on rosavin have shown that it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and gut microbiome-modulating effects. The untreated T2DM animals showed various disturbances, which were significantly reduced by the daily administration of rosavin for four weeks. Rosavin has been found to increase lifespan in several animal models, and its toxicity has been assessed and found to have hepatoprotective properties and can improve kidney damage.

Strength of evidence: Preclinical animal studies only. No controlled clinical trials in humans examining rosavin specifically for metabolic liver disease or diabetes have been published to date.

5.7 Anticancer Properties

Rosavin manifested anticancer properties against various cancers by exerting cytotoxicity, apoptotic cell death, arresting different phases (G0/G1) of the cancerous cell cycle, inhibiting migration, and invading other organs. Pharmacological studies have demonstrated that rosavin has a variety of biological activities, including antioxidant, lipid-lowering, analgesic, antiradiation, antitumor, and immunomodulation effects.

Strength of evidence: These findings are exclusively from in vitro (cell line) studies. No human clinical trials evaluating rosavin for oncological outcomes exist in the peer-reviewed literature.

5.8 Cardiovascular and Reproductive Health

Even though most evidence originates from pre-clinical trials, several clinical studies have additionally demonstrated the remediating effects of R. rosea on cardiovascular and reproductive health by addressing non-specific stress damage and reversing or healing the disrupted physiologies and dysfunctions.

Strength of evidence: Largely preclinical, with very limited clinical data.

6. Body Systems and Health Areas Associated with Rosavins

Central Nervous System: Stress resilience, cognitive function, anti-fatigue, putative antidepressant action, neuroprotection.
Neuroendocrine System: HPA axis modulation, cortisol regulation.
Musculoskeletal and Exercise Physiology: Endurance, recovery from physical stress; mixed evidence.
Hepatic System: Hepatoprotective effects in preclinical NASH and metabolic disease models.
Renal System: Renal protective properties in animal models of metabolic disease.
Immune and Pulmonary Systems: Anti-inflammatory effects via NF-κB pathway modulation (preclinical).
Metabolic / Endocrine: Animal data on insulin resistance and glucose dysregulation.
Oncology: In vitro cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties only.

In vitro, non-clinical, and clinical studies confirmed that R. rosea exerts anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune regulatory effects, balances the gut microbiota, and alleviates vascular circulatory disorders.

7. Dosages Reported in Studies

Dosages in the clinical literature have varied considerably depending on the extract type, indication, and study design. The following are dosages reported in specific peer-reviewed sources:

Chronic administration of 170 mg of standardized R. rosea rhizome extract in physicians over 14 days of night duty (Darbinyan et al.).
Daily doses of 288–680 mg (1–4 tablets) of SHR-5 extract (70% ethanol) for 2–6 weeks, showing improvements in mood, cognitive performance, and fatigue.
100 mg of R. rosea extract (containing 3% rosavin + 1% salidroside) used in a 24-subject endurance exercise test.
340 mg powdered extract standardized to 3.07% rosavin used in a 57-participant, 12-week phase II depression study.
A study protocol examined R. rosea extract 340–1,360 mg daily versus sertraline 50–200 mg daily or placebo for 12 weeks in MDD patients.
In the NASH animal model, rosavin was administered at concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg/day for four weeks.

Standardized content of active markers is necessary for the quality control of herbal preparations containing R. rosea extracts, but insufficient for assessment of their potential efficacy.

8. Safety, Adverse Effects, and Drug Interactions

8.1 General Tolerability

Results of clinical studies suggest a possible antidepressant action for R. rosea extract in adult humans. In contrast to most conventional antidepressants, R. rosea extract appears to be well-tolerated in short-term studies with a favorable safety profile.

Rosavin extract has been determined to be safe in human studies, and long-term administration (28 days) of different Rhodiola doses did not produce any toxic effects in animal studies.

8.2 Reported Adverse Effects

Side effects may include dizziness, headache, insomnia, and either dry mouth or excessive saliva production. These effects were reported in short-term studies; long-term safety data in humans remain limited.

8.3 Drug Interactions

Interactions between rhodiola and losartan (a drug used for high blood pressure) have been reported.

Cautioned possible interactions with drugs metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes; it is recommended to avoid Rhodiola rosea in combination with immunosuppressants, anxiolytics, sedatives, or antidepressants without medical supervision.

Case reports and pharmacovigilance studies suggest clinically significant interactions, especially with psychotropic drugs. Mechanistic studies indicate possible inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes, which may affect the metabolism of other drugs.

8.4 Serotonergic Risk with Antidepressants

A published case report highlighted a clinically significant interaction with a serotonergic antidepressant. A case of a 68-year-old female patient with recurrent moderate depressive disorder who developed vegetative syndrome and restlessness was reported. The symptoms can be interpreted as a serotonergic syndrome. Prescribing Rhodiola rosea with paroxetine, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions have to be assumed.

Rhodiola rosea has sedative, anti-depressive, drive-enhancing, and stress-modulated properties, stimulating the distribution of dopamine and serotonin; in combination with other drugs, an increase of side effects and risk profile has to be expected.

8.5 CYP450 Considerations

The phenolic compounds rosavin, rosarin, rosin, salidroside/rhodioloside, and tyrosol have no impact on activity of CYP450 enzymes and do not inhibit CYP3A4, CYP2D6, or CYP1A2. However, the presence of minor amounts of herbacetin rhamnosides (rhodiosin and rhodionin) may presumably induce inhibition of CYP2D6 in some commercial preparations of Rhodiola. This discrepancy between isolated markers and whole extract highlights the importance of the specific preparation used.

8.6 Regulatory and Pharmacopeial Restrictions

The European Medicines Agency classifies the dry extract (DER 1.5–5:1) obtained from R. rosea roots and rhizomes as a traditional herbal medicinal product used for the prevention and temporary relief of fatigue and sensation of psycho-physical weakness. The HMPC concluded that arctic root can be used for the temporary relief of symptoms of stress, such as fatigue and sensation of weakness. Arctic root medicines should only be used in adults over the age of 18 years and should not be taken for longer than two weeks without seeking medical advice.

8.7 Product Quality Concerns

Concentrations of rosavins and salidroside in commercially available products ranged from 0.01% to 3.08% and 0.07% to 2.91%, respectively, including substantial aberrations from advertised biomarker amounts. One product showed an undisclosed likely addition of synthetic salidroside. While pesticide levels in tested products were below detection limits, all seven tested capsular products had trace amounts of arsenic, cobalt, and lead. These quality control findings underscore the importance of pharmacopeial verification of rosavin-containing products.

References

Health Conditions

Health conditions that Rosavins may help support.

No conditions available.

Body Systems

Body systems that Rosavins may help support.

No body systems available.