Table 2.
Pharmacological functions of medicinal Rhodiola on various ailments.
| Component or extraction method | Ailment | Pharmacological function | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salidroside | AD | Upregulates p-GSK-3β and downregulates p-tau | 5 |
| Upregulates PI3K/AKT signaling | 6,7 | ||
| Weakens the abnormal processing of APP | 8 | ||
| Induces antioxidant enzymes TRX, HO-1, and PRXI | 9 | ||
| Prevents caspase 3 activation, increases BAX/BCL-2 ratio, and reverses hippocampal neuronal loss | 10 | ||
| Protects mitochondria against sodium-azide-induced damage | 11 | ||
| Depression | Reduces TNF-α and IL-1ß levels | 21 | |
| Attenuates levels of IL-6 and TNF-α | 22 | ||
| Attenuates NE and 5-HT levels in the prefrontal cortex | 22 | ||
| Regulates BDNF/TRKB signaling pathway | 23 | ||
| Huntington’s disease | Reduces neuronal death and behavioral dysfunction mediated by polyQ | 32 | |
| Regulates AMPK/SIRT1/FOXO1 signaling | 33 | ||
| CVD | Attenuates H2O2-induced cell damage by downregulating Ca2+ and ROS via cAMP-dependent pathway | 43 | |
| Promotes mitochondrial biogenesis and functions | 44, 45 | ||
| Increases the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK1/2; reduces the intracellular levels of ROS and the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK | 47 | ||
| Reduces the contents of CK, CK-MB, and LDH; increases GSH-Px and SOD activities; and reduces MDA content in liver tissue | 48, 49 | ||
| Increases levels of VEGF; upregulates HIF-1α protein expression and induces its translocation | 49 | ||
| Regulates BCL-2 protein family, reduces the expression of BAX; rescues the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins | 50 | ||
| Increases phosphorylation of AKT and reduces activation of caspase 3; markedly increases BCL-2/BAX ratio; preserves mitochondrial transmembrane potential | 51 | ||
| Diabetes | Reduces diabetes-induced oxidative stress | 64 | |
| Inhibits the function and expression of CaL channels in vascular smooth muscle cells | 67 | ||
| Inhibits neuroinflammation and P2X7 receptor expression | 68 | ||
| Hepatic fibrosis | Inhibits lipid peroxidation | 73 | |
| Acute liver fibrosis | Antioxidant activity and inhibits the function of HIF-1α | 74 | |
| Bladder cancer | Inhibits the mTOR pathway and induces autophagy | 79 | |
| Lung cancer | Reduces intracellular ROS generation and phosphor-p38 MAPK expression | 80 | |
| Fibrosarcoma | Downregulates the ROS/PKC/ERK1/2 signaling pathway | 81 | |
| Colon carcinoma | Inhibits the JAK2/STAT3-dependent pathway | 82 | |
| Sarcoma | Reduces tumor-induced angiogenesis | 83 | |
| Pulmonary hypertension | Regulates ET-1, NO, VEGF, ACE, NF-κB, TNF-α, and IL-6 expressions | 59 | |
| Water extract of Rhodiola rosea | PD | Inhibits MAO-A and MAO-B activities and prevents the degradation of important neurotransmitters in PD patients | 35 |
| CVD | Reduces iNOS expression | 55 | |
| Pulmonary hypertension | ACE-inhibitory activity | 56 | |
| CVD | Causes withdrawal of sympathetic vasomotor tone and the circulatory angiotensin system | 60 | |
| STZ-induced diabetes | Increases β-endorphin secretion from adrenal glands to activate opioid μ-receptors | 72 | |
| Leukemia | Increases intracellular ROS in K-562 cell line; induces apoptosis, drives the cell to an oxidative-stress-induced cell death; arrests cell-cycle progression at G2/M | 84 | |
| Ethanol extract of Rhodiola rosea | Pulmonary hypertension | ACE-inhibitory activity | 56 |
| Diabetes | Inhibits the activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE | 56 | |
| Diabetic nephropathy | Lowers the expression of TGF-β1 in renal tissues | 71 | |
| Polysaccharide from Rhodiola rosea | T lymphocytes in tumors | Increases the spleen and thymus indices and the production of cytokines (IL-2, TNF-α, and IFN-γ); increases the CD4+/CD8+ ratio | 86 |
| Tyrosol | Diabetes | Inhibits the activity of α-glucosidase | 56 |
| Oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPCRR) | AD | Increases SOD and GSH-Px activities | 19 |
| Methanol extract of Rhodiola rosea | PD | Inhibits MAO-A and MAO-B activities and prevents the degradation of important neurotransmitters in PD patients | 35 |
| Ethanol extract of Rhodiola crenulata | Diabetes | Inhibits α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE activities | 56 |
| Water extracts of Rhodiola crenulata | Diabetes | Inhibits α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE activities | 56 |
| 3% rosavin and 0.8% salidroside from Rhodiola rosea | Depression | Increases the blood-brain barrier permeability to precursors of DA and 5-HT;induces neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampus | 26 |
| Rhodiola crenulata root extract | Hepatoma | Increases glycogen synthesis and the expression of regulatory enzymes in HepG2 cells; suppresses fat accumulation in hepatic cells under high-glucose conditions; is associated with the AMPK signaling pathway | 77 |
|
Rhodiola crenulata root extract |
Diabetes | Suppresses fructose-induced hyperinsulinemia and increases the insulin resistance index by modulating sarcolemmal and intracellular CD36 redistribution | 69 |
| Water extract of radix et rhizoma Rhodiola kirilowii | AMI | Elevates the expressions of HIF-1α, HIF-1β, and VEGF | 59 |
| Rhodiola rosea extract | CVD | Increases the levels of endogenous opioid peptides | 54 |
| Extract of Rhodiola rosea | Hypomnesia | Regulates the expression of monoamines and opioid peptides to increase the adaptability and activity of the central nervous system | 40 |
| Modulates the activity and levels of ACh in the brain | 38 | ||
| Increases the levels of NE, DA, 5-HT and ACh | 39 | ||
| Extract of Rhodiola rosea | PD | Facilitates production and proliferation of dopamine-producing cells | 36 |