Rhodiola Rosea Extract: Rosavin vs. Salidrosides

Rhodiola

Rhodiola is an herb that grows in the cold, mountainous regions of Europe and Asia. 

Its roots are considered adaptogens, meaning they help your body adapt to stress when consumed.

Rhodiola is also known as arctic root or golden root, and its scientific name is Rhodiola rosea.

Its root contains more than 140 active ingredients, the two most potent of which are rosavins and salidroside.

People in Russia and Scandinavian countries have used rhodiola to treat anxiety, fatigue and depression for centuries.

Today, it’s widely used as a dietary supplement for its many health benefits.

1.Can Decrease Stress

2.Can Fight Fatigue

3.Could Help Reduce Symptoms of Depression

4.Improves Brain Function

5.Can Improve Exercise Performance

6.May Help Control Diabetes

7.May Have Anticancer Properties

Rhodiola Standardization

Most rhodiola extracts in scientific research use standardised extracts — the extract is guaranteed to contain a certain amount of either rosavin, salidroside, or both.

Rhodiola extracts containing only salidroside or only rosavin didn’t perform as well as extracts with the whole plant.

Both compounds are considered antidepressants but fail to produce the same level of effects in isolation from each other.

One study looking at the effects of a whole-plant extract of rhodiola had antidepressant, anxiolytic, adaptogenic, and stimulating benefits at the same time.

This compares to studies involving an extract containing only rosavin — showing very limited effects on depression.

Salidroside is also less effective than whole-plant extracts but does maintain most of its effects on its own.

Unfortunately, rhodiola rosea extract are at risk of adulteration.

When buying rhodiola supplements, you can find versions standardised to contain either rosavins or salidrosides — the two main classes of active ingredients in the plant. This difference is especially apparent between the two main species of the plant. Rhodiola rosea tends to have higher rosavin, while Rhodiola crenulata has higher salidroside.

Generally, rhodiola extracts are standardised to 3% rosavins and 0.8–1.0% salidrosides by weight. Rhodiola rosea extracts generally come in standardised concentrations of 3% rosavins, while Rhodiola crenulata is made with salidrosides standardised instead.

How to distinguish the quality of rhodiola rosea extract?

Rosavins are a collection of compounds which include, rosavin, rosin and rosarin.

As a high-quality product, the content of rosavin must reach 50% of the total rosavins (Reference: USP40-NF35). But there are a lot of products on the market, its total rosavins is 3%, most of them are rosin and rosarin.

Rosavin is a cinnamyl alcohol glycoside found in the plant Rhodiola rosea. It is thought to be one of the compounds responsible for the antidepressant and anxiolytic actions of this plant, along with salidroside

Research suggests that rosavin in Rhodiola rosea may support healthy stress levels.

Rosavin may also act as an active compound that supports weight loss. Studies show that rosavin may potentiate hormone-based lipase, an enzyme that can break down adipose tissue, or fat, particularly around the midsection. This break down of stomach fat may be increased when rosavin is combined with exercise.

If you want to know more about rhodiola rosea extract, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Email: shiyuwang@organic-herb.com

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11081987

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10839209

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12725561

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17990195

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20308973

[6] https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-6-S1-P14

[7] https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jsm/2014/563043/

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17990971

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18536978

10. https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2015/11/04/Rhodiola-rosea-extract-may-improve-anxiety-stress-and-mood-Human-data

11. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rhodiola-rosea

12. https://piracetam.net/rhodiola-rosavin-salidrosides/