Quantitative analysis of phenylpropanoids in Rhodiola rosea from different producing Areas

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) grows worldwide, particularly in Europe, North America and several Asia countries like China and Kazakhstan. As a functional food and medicinal herb and broadly used in healthy foods and beverages, R. rosea possesses antioxidant, antifatigue, anti-ageing, inhibitory effects of inflammation, anticancer and other pharmacological properties. More than 90 species of Rhodiola are distributed in Asia and North America, and, in particular, China is the main producing area with more than 70 species, among which R. rosea is a major one. Same as other plants, the bioactive components of R. rosea vary with growing location and conditions. Phenylpropanoids in R. rosea are a group of main bioactive phytochemicals and their contents are usually used as a quality indicator. Hence it is of great importance to characterize phenylpropanoids in R. rosea from different sources to ensure their effectiveness and efficacy. In this study, 18 R. rosea samples from Kazakhstan and 4 regions of China were collected and further characterized for their contents of rosavin, rosarin and rosin, the major biomarkers of R. rosea quality and pharmacological effects. ANOVA analysis showed significant differences among different regions. As an example, the content of total rosavins in R. rosea from Kazakhstan was more than three times that from Bazhou, Xinjiang province of China.