Comparative Chemical Analysis of Rhodiola rosea Roots

Abstract

Background: Rhodiola rosea L. is a well-known medicinal plant valued for its adaptogenic, antifatigue, antidiabetic, and neuro-protective effects (1). The key bioactive marker compounds are salidroside, rosavin, rosin and rosarian (2). However, the growing demand and climate change factors for golden roots have led to over-harvesting of the raw material and its inclusion in CITES (3). As Rhodiola cultivation expands to new regions, assessing the quality of its bioactive compounds is becoming critical. Aim: Determine qualitative and quantitative composition of wild and cultivated Rhodiola roots. Methods: Samples were collected in the natural habitat (Altai, Mongolia) (sample-1) and cultivated in Botanical Garden, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas (sample-2) and Vilnius (sample-3), Lithuania. Chromatographic analysis was performed using the Waters e2695 Alliance HPLC system, on an ACE C18 (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) column with an acetonitrile (A) and phosphine buffer (pH 7.0 (B) as solvents. Detection was carried out at a wavelength of 251 nm (total rosavins (rosarin, rosavin, rosin, rosiridin) content) and 221 nm (salidroside). Results: HPLC analysis showed good separation of peaks, which in terms of RT and UV spectra were consistent with standards. All roseroot individuals showed a very high deviation in their chemical content at each sampling time. Salidroside content varied between 0.95 and 1.41%, while the rosavin content varied from 0.12-1.85 %. The content of rosavin in sample-1 from natural habitats was the higher, while the rosavin in sample-2 was significantly lower. In sample-3, the marker compound was in trace amounts. Conclusions: The analysis showed significant differences in bioactive compounds (rosarin, rosavin, rosin, rosiridin and salidroside) content between wild and cultivated golden roots. Given the variability of the chemical composition of plant materials depending on environmental factors, it is always important to assess the content of bioactive components.