Molecular Characterization of Rhodiola Imbricata for Biosynthesis of Salidroside and Rosavin

Abstract

The stone crop family, Crassulaceae comprises of over 1400 species which is disseminated in 33 genera including Rhodiola (Rose root, Golden root or Arctic root) and is commonly distributed worldwide especially in the Northern Hemisphere and South Africa (Gupta et al., 2007). The descriptions, distribution and collection sites of the various species of the family are available in different literatures (Kumar et al., 2007). The species of this family propagates at an altitude of 2700-5000 m in drained soil and has been acknowledged to have immense medicinal potential from time immemorial (Mishra et al., 2007). The Rhodiola, which consists of around 90 species, are widely dispersed in cold desert region of the Northern Hemisphere at high altitude (Yidong Lei, et al., 2003). In traditional medicines of Tibet and other regions, various Rhodiola species have been used for the treatment of weakness and long term illness due to infection for over 1000 years (Xiong, 1995; Rohloff, 2002).