There is more in ginseng and rose root

Medicinal plants with an effect against stress-related symptoms are called adaptogens in phytotherapy or complementary medicine. Rose root and ginseng are the classic representatives of this class of medicinal plants. However, they also seem to have other effects, as recent studies on Rhodiola show.

The term adaptogen is not commonly used in traditional medicine. In complementary medicine, it is understood as a medicinal plant that helps the organism to improve the state of non-specific resistance to stress. In the case of stress, there is a risk that the homeostasis gets out of balance. Adaptogens activate the stress system, which during the time of stress helps the body to survive or adapt to this phase. For example, cognitive functions are improved and more oxygen is supplied to the CNS and the stressed body regions. Attention is increased and the exhaustion phase is delayed.

Rose root and ginseng

Rose root (Rhodiola rosea) and the two ginseng species Panax ginseng (ginseng) and Eleutherococcus senticosus (taiga root or Siberian ginseng) are considered classic adaptogenic medicinal plants. Rose root has already been reported in this publication [1]. Since Rhodiola rosea and Eleutherococcus senticosus grow in the northern latitudes of Europe and Asia, Russian scientists in particular have studied these medicinal plants [2–9]. Panax ginseng is originally native to Korea. Panax has a variety of constituents, of which ginsenosides (triterpene saponides) are the most important.

Ginseng research is impressively large. More than 3000 results can be found in the MEDLINE database under the keyword Panax ginseng. A Swiss company has contributed much to ginseng research [10].

Effects of Panax ginseng

Unfortunately, there are many counterfeits and poor quality preparations that damage the good reputation of ginseng! The best studied is the standardized Panax ginseng extract G115, whose physical and mental effects were presented at the 24th Swiss Conference on Phytotherapy in 2009 (Table 1) [10].

This table shows that ginseng extract G115, as a classic adaptogen, helps affected individuals to cope with stressful situations. Various physical functions are improved, which are in demand during stress, due to persistent physical activity or sudden events.

New findings on Rhodiola rosea

Since rose root has already been described in this publication, new findings on its effects will now be presented here:

Muscle cells: A 2014 pharmacological study [11] provides evidence of a beneficial effect of rose root extract on muscle cells subjected to chemically induced oxidative stress. In this study, peroxide-induced oxidative stress was induced on two groups of mouse musculoskeletal cells. One group was pretreated with a rose root extract. No significant decrease in motility was observed in this group, but an increased concentration of the heat shock protein HSP70 was observed. It follows that extracts of Rhodiola rosea improve physical agility in stressful situations. This again supports the adaptogenic efficacy of rose root.

Depression: A study published this year gives evidence of an antidepressant effect of Rhodiola rosea [12]. This would increase the spectrum of action of this medicinal plant, and rose root would be a second medicinal plant with an antidepressant potential besides St. John’s wort! The study authors undertook a literature search and identified two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 146 subjects suffering from major depression and seven open-label studies involving a total of 714 subjects suffering from stress-induced mild depression. The results suggest an antidepressant effect of rose root extract.

Other Rhodiola species

Rhodiola rosea does not seem to be the only species of the genus Rhodiola that has therapeutic efficacy. This is shown by a recent literature review [13]. The authors of this study reported studies on various species such as Rhodiola imbricata, Rhodiola algida, and Rhodiola crenulata, as well as salidrosides, the main constituent of the genus. These mainly pharmacological studies show immunomodulatory properties of the different Rhodiola species. These appear to stimulate specific and nonspecific immunity by promoting the production of TH1 cytokines without affecting the TH2 profile. This is an indication that there seem to be other Rhodiola species with adaptogenic effects.

However, these extracts also appear to have a tumor-inhibiting effect by protecting tissues against free radicals and weak and moderate mutagens. Further, there is evidence of inhibition of angiogenesis. Thus, Rhodiola extracts could offer themselves as concomitant drugs of classical chemotherapeutic agents.

Literature:

Bachmann C: Amazing effect of a new adaptogenic medicinal plant from the north. HAUSARZT PRAXIS 2014; 9(3): 5-6.
Darbinyan V, et al: Rhodiola rosea in stress inducedfatugue – a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during nigth duty, Phytomedicine 2000; 7: 365-371.
Spasov A, et al: A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulation and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimen, Phytomedicine 2000;7; 85-89.
Shevtsov VA, et al: Antifatigue and improved mental performance with Rhodiola rosea, Phytomedicine 2003;10: 95-105.
Bystritsky A et al: Plot study of Rhodiola rosea (Rodax®) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2008(2);14:175-180.
Panossian A, et al: Evidence-based efficacy of adaptogens in fatigue, and molecular mechanisms related to their stress-protective activity, Curr Clin Pharma-col. 2009 Sep;4(3): 198-219. Epub 2009 Sep 1.
Shadrin AS, et al: Estimation of prophylactic and immunostimulating effects of E-leutherococcus and Schizandra chinensis preparations. In: New Data on Eleutherococcus: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium in Eleutherococcus, Moscow 1984. Part II. Vladivostok Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Far East Science Center, 1986:289-293.
Kozlov VK, et al: Motivation of metabolic therapy using “energy complexes” and eleutherococcus preparations for improving adaptation disorders in children. In: New Data on Eleutherococcus: Proceedings of the Second International Symposi-um in Eleutherococcus, Moscow 1984. Part II. Vladivostok Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Far East Science Center, 1986: 277-281.
Barkan AN, et al: Effect of nof eleutherococcus on the morbidity of viral respiratory infections among children in organized collectives, Pediatria 1980;4:65-66.
Vignutelli A: Adaptogens – the science behind the concept, paper presented at the 24th Swiss Annual Conference on Phytotherapy, Baden, 19.11.2009.
Hernández-Santana A, et al: A Rhodiola rosea root extract protects skel-etal muscle cells against chemically induced oxidative stress by modulating heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression, Phytother Res. 2014(4);28:623-8. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5046.
Amsterdam JD, et al: Rhodiola rosea L. as a putative botanical anti-depressant, Phytomedicine. 2016(7) 15;23; 770-83. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2016.02.009. Epub 2016 Feb 24.
Recio MC, et al: Immunomodulatory and Antiproliferative Properties of Rhodiola Species, Planta Med. 2016(11-12); 82:952-960. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-107254.