Rhodiola rosea: Anti-influenza virus aspects of a popular adaptogen

Preparations of Rhodiola rosea are popular as adaptogen to treat stress, fatigue, and weakness. Marker compounds such as rosin, rosiridin, rosarin, rosavin, and salidroside [1] were quantitatively analysed in herbal drugs as well as commercial preparations using a supercritical fluid workflow [2]. However, R. rosea also exhibits anti-influenza virus activities which could not be explained by the effect of known adaptogenic compounds.

Hence, the aim was to investigate the antiviral effect regarding i) combinatorial effects of isolated constituents, ii) the influence of tannins, iii) the mode of action, and iv) resistance development.

Interestingly, a tannin fraction (TE) composed of prodelphinidin gallate oligomers was detected as main contributor to the antiviral activity. TE inhibited the plaque-production of influenza virus A(H1N1) pdm09, A(H3N2), and B isolates with IC₅₀s between 0.12 – 0.53 µg/mL. Mechanistic studies proved a virucidal activity, inhibition of viral adsorption, viral neuraminidase activity, and virus spread. No resistance development was observed in vitro [3].

These anti-influenza insights support a yet unknown aspect of adaptogenic properties of R. rosea.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 December 2022

• References

• 1 Langeder J, Grienke U, Doering K. et al. High-performance countercurrent chromatography to access Rhodiola rosea influenza virus inhibiting constituents. Planta Med 2021; 87: 818-826
• 2 Langeder J, Grienke U. A supercritical fluid workflow for the quality assessment of herbal drugs and commercial preparations from Rhodiola rosea. Phytochem Anal 2021; 32: 982-991
• 3 Doering K, Langeder J, Duwe S. et al. Insights into the direct anti-influenza virus mode of action of Rhodiola rosea. Phytomedicine 2022; 96: 153895