Golden root: A wholesome treat of immunity

Rhodiola is native to the high altitude regions of Asia, Europe and Northern Hemisphere. It has a long history of use as a medicinal plant in various ailments, boosting immunity, increasing energy and mental capacity. It is also known as "Adaptogen" to help the body to adapt and resist stress. The part of the plant, which is used for medicinal values, is rhizome, which is an underground stem. The rhizome contains mainly salidroside, rosin, rosavin and p-tyrosol. There are many studies, which have reported the effects of Rhodiola spp. on different organs and health conditions. In this review, we have selected the articles from Pubmed and Google Scholar from year 1992-2016 to report the effects of Rhodiola spp. and their role in curtailing various diseases and stress. The present review emphasizes the medicinal and therapeutic applications of Rhodiola spp. on different experimental models. Overall conclusion is that Rhodiola spp. has immense therapeutic potential and hence, this review would give impetus to new research for the development of Rhodiola based herbal nutraceuticals as well as pharmaceuticals.