Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Rhodiola rosea is an herbaceous plant found in the Arctic region and Alberta that has traditionally been usedx000D
for medicinal purposes. Various studies have demonstrated the bioactivity of Rhodiola rosea in several areas ofx000D
health, including stress and cancer, among others. Of interest in terms of therapeutic effectiveness are itsx000D
rosavin compounds. Different solvent extraction methodologies have been used to isolate rosavin fromx000D
Rhodiola rosea roots. However, with these existing extracts the amount and purity of the resulting rosavin inx000D
terms of both quality and yield remain a significant challenge. Also, little is known about the extraction of thex000D
rosin and rosarin components of this bioactive complex collectively called rosavins. The main objective of thisx000D
project is to use supercritical CO2 extraction, an environmentally-friendly "green" technology, to extractx000D
rosavins, i.e. rosavin, rosin and rosarin, from Rhodiola rosea roots provided by St. Francis Herb Farm Inc.x000D
Supercritical extraction using carbon dioxide as the solvent allows easy separation of the solvent from thex000D
extracted rosavin, rosin, and rosarin, leaving a product that is easy to characterize. Results from supercriticalx000D
extraction will be compared to conventional solvent extraction in terms of both yield and product quality. Ax000D
high yield of pure rosavin, rosin, and rosarin will allow their further commercialization as ingredients of naturalx000D
health products produced in Canada and will strengthen Canada's agricultural sector. The successful extractionx000D
and commercialization of rosavin, rosin, and rosarin also has the social benefit of potentially providing anx000D
affordable treatment for hot flashes, stress, and depression to a large segment of women and men affected byx000D
these health issues worldwide.