What Are the Uses and Benefits of Rhodiola Rosea Extract？

Rhodiola Rosea extract Salidroside has been widely used in the daily chemical industry, such as shampoos, body washes and cosmetics. As it is extracted from plants and is harmless to the human body, it is considered a green additive. Studies have found that Rhodiola Rosea has great advantages in resisting ultraviolet radiation, scavenging harmful free radicals and delaying aging. It can be used in cosmetics and washing products to provide sun protection and whiten skin. This article mainly reviews the application of rhodiola extract in daily chemical products, focuses on the current research hotspots, introduces its efficient extraction methods, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the current extraction process and future development trends, with the aim of providing a reference for the application of rhodiola extract in the field of daily chemicals.

1 Application in daily chemical products

1.1 Application in whitening products

Skin color is mainly determined by the content and distribution of skin pigments, which mainly include melanin and carotene. Melanin is widely found in human hair, skin, retina, etc. The formation of melanin is mainly related to tyrosinase, dihydroxyindole acid oxidase and dopachrome isomerase, among which tyrosinase is an important oxidase for melanin synthesis [2]. Therefore, inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase is one of the main methods of achieving whitening. Rhodiola rosea extract [3] has low cytotoxicity to melanocytes and inhibits the synthesis of tyrosinase and melanin in cells.

Adding rhodiola rosea extract to related products can have a whitening effect. Xie Zhaohui et al. [4] developed a whitening skin care product using Rhodiola rosea extract and Dendrobium polysaccharide extract. The synergistic combination of the components further enhanced the inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity and slowed down the production of melanin. Wang Yingcun et al. [5] evaluated the efficacy of Rhodiola rosea extract in cosmetics and found that Rhodiola rosea extract can inhibit melanin production, improve skin tone, and has whitening effects.

Compared with synthetic chemical additives, rhodiola extract has become a natural whitening additive in cosmetics. In recent years, rhodiola extract has been increasingly used in whitening cosmetics. For example, it can be used in conjunction with other plant active ingredients such as polygoni multiflori radix extract, ganoderma lucidum extract, and ginkgo biloba extract to develop whitening hand cream, whitening spot-lightening milk, and other products. In addition, rhodioloside can inhibit tyrosinase activity and reduce melanin production. This characteristic provides a new idea for the development of whitening products, which has aroused the interest of researchers and the attention of consumers, and will become the focus of future research and development of whitening cosmetics.

1.2 Application in sun protection products

Solar radiation includes infrared, visible and ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light has a shorter wavelength, ranging from 200 to 400 nm. Depending on the wavelength, ultraviolet light can be divided into UVA (320–400 nm), UVB (280–320 nm) and UVC (200–280 nm) [6]. Among them, UVB has the strongest ability to damage the skin, which can cause tanning and sunburn. Sunscreens are now being developed to target this band of ultraviolet light. Nowadays, people's requirements for sunscreens [7] are not just limited to a single sun protection function, but also require anti-inflammatory, after-sun repair and other effects, which are difficult for physical blockers and chemical absorbers to meet. Natural products have unique sun protection effects and great application potential. There have been more and more reports on the use of rhodioloside and related rhodioloside derivatives in sun protection products, and more products are being developed.

Rhodioloside can absorb ultraviolet energy that is harmful to the skin, so it can be used as a sun protection additive. Zhang Xudong [8] used rhodiola to create a sun protection hand cream, which was shown to have a significant sun protection effect. Yang Lingling et al. [9] invented a new type of sunscreen, in which the added rhodiola component can effectively absorb ultraviolet rays in the UVB region, providing significant sun protection and meeting good UV protection requirements.

Using the advantages of rhodiola's gentleness and safety on the skin, the production of related sun protection products has become an emerging sun protection concept in recent years. However, the disadvantage of the compound rhodiola extract is that it has a poor sun protection factor for UV absorption and a narrow range of protection. High-purity rhodiola extract can achieve full-spectrum, high UV absorption. Therefore, the development of highly effective single rhodiola extract sun protection products, or the use of high-tech intelligent technology to improve the stability of rhodiola extract, is the development direction of rhodiola extract in the field of sun protection.

1.3 Application in anti-aging products

As we age, the body's ability to eliminate free radicals weakens, leading to decay and degeneration. The skin, as the outermost tissue, is the most direct external manifestation of aging [10]. Skin aging is universal, multifactorial, progressive, and degenerative. In terms of skin structure, it is mainly manifested as an increase in epidermal thickness, with severe atrophy or hyperplasia. To overcome the fear of aging, which is a “disease of the times,” we must fundamentally reduce the production of harmful free radicals and increase the activity of related antioxidant enzymes. Domestic and foreign studies have shown [11] that rhodiola glycosides have the effect of anti-oxidation and delaying aging.

Chen Nuju [12] developed a moisturizing anti-aging cream with rhodiola extract and other natural ingredients, which has the highest content of rhodiola extract and has significant effects in regulating skin metabolism and anti-aging. From Li Hui's [13] research, it can be seen that rhodiola can delay skin aging by inhibiting gene expression. Zhou Sisi et al. [14] studied the anti-aging effect of rhodiola on human skin cells and found that rhodiola extract can promote the repair of aging cells. Moreover, at a certain concentration, with the increase of rhodiola extract concentration, the effect of promoting the repair of aging cells becomes more obvious.

In recent years, the anti-aging biological activity of rhodiola extract has gained some recognition in the cosmetics industry, and people's trust in its ability to delay skin aging has also increased. However, most cosmetics containing rhodiola extract are still in the experimental stage. Therefore, it is necessary to vigorously develop and apply related products, so that they can move towards industrial production, which will help to better realize social and economic value.

1.4 Application in skin care products

With people's increasing pursuit of health and the emphasis on skin care, skin care products with higher safety and efficacy have become an unstoppable trend. Skin care products, that is, products that protect the skin, have the characteristics of beautifying and moisturizing, lifting and firming, and have become necessities in people's lives. Rhodiola extract has been applied to skin care products because of its scavenging effect on multiple harmful free radicals and its good antioxidant properties, which can achieve skin care effects such as antibacterial and firming and moisturizing.

Natural, green and healthy skin care products have aroused the interest of more and more scholars. Hu Weibing [15] developed a rhodiola skin care agent. After a reasonable formulation of various effective ingredients such as rhodiola extract, it was found that the rhodiola cream has moisturizing and antioxidant effects. Zhang Jingbo et al. [16] developed an anti-oxidation mask with Rhodiola extract and Cordyceps extract, which does not contain harmful chemicals, can effectively reduce harmful free radicals in the skin, and improve the skin's anti-oxidation ability.

The domestic Herborist brand has been launching many products related to the Rhodiola series, such as cleansers, serums, and creams rich in Rhodiola extract. And now many brands such as Bayan Har and Suoweiya also contain Rhodiola extract in their shampoos, body washes, hand soaps, and other products. However, the widespread distribution of Rhodiola rosea has led to problems with the extraction process, such as inconsistent ingredients, varying quality, and drug residues, which in turn has led to the safety of Rhodiola rosea extract in skincare products being unable to be guaranteed. Therefore, in the future, the source of Rhodiola rosea should be strictly controlled, the quality should be improved to ensure safety, and its application in skincare products should be vigorously developed.

1.5 Application in detergents

Modern detergents are complex mixtures containing a variety of ingredients, mainly surfactants and auxiliaries. Surfactants are the main ingredient that provides cleaning power, while auxiliaries are added to improve and increase the cleaning power of the surfactants, to meet certain specific needs, and to create the desired product form [17]. The function of a surfactant is to weaken the adhesion between the stain and the washed object, so that the stain can be removed from the washed object under the action of water flow and mechanical force, thus achieving the purpose of cleaning the target object. Rhodiola extract detergents, which are developing in the direction of being multifunctional, safe, low-consumption and environmentally friendly, have made corresponding progress and applications in dishwashing, antibacterial synergy and cleaning products.

Chen Longdi [18] developed a liquid dishwashing detergent using Rhodiola extract and substances such as lauramide propylamine oxide, which showed that detergents formulated with Rhodiola extract not only have good detergency, but also effectively reduce the irritation to the skin of the hands. Du Shiliang [19] added Rhodiola rosea extract to the detergent as a wool treatment agent. As the pH of the Rhodiola rosea-containing wool treatment agent is neutral, it can avoid damage to the wool fibers. At the same time, the addition of Rhodiola rosea extract has a good antibacterial effect after washing. Huang Meirong[20] developed a soap containing rhodiola extract, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium stearate and other substances, which shows that the addition of rhodiola extract can produce finer and gentler foam, effectively reducing skin irritation and achieving a gentle effect on the skin.

Rhodiola rosea detergent not only has the cleaning function of a general detergent, but also directly removes colored stains. In terms of practical application, it ensures a greener image. In recent years, there have been relatively few Rhodiola rosea washing products, which may be due to imperfect technical standards and a lack of investment of time. Therefore, increasing research efforts, enhancing product innovation, and improving processing technology will be conducive to promoting the development of rhodiolosides in washing products.

2 Extraction methods

2.1 Microwave-assisted method

The microwave-assisted method is a new extraction technique that uses microwave energy to extract substances. That is, microwave energy[21] is used to heat the solvent in contact with the sample, separate the desired compounds from the sample matrix and add them to the solvent. It is a process that enhances heat and mass transfer based on traditional extraction processes.

In recent years, microwave-assisted methods have been widely used in the extraction and isolation of natural products. Research by Wang Xiaoliang et al. [22] showed that microwave extraction power had the greatest effect on the extraction rate of rhodioloside. Zhao Ziming [23] and others used microwave-assisted ethanol extraction to obtain rhodioloside, and found that the extraction rate of rhodioloside was 93.53% under microwave power of 480 W, providing a further experimental basis for rhodioloside research.

Compared with the traditional method, microwave-assisted extraction has incomparable advantages. When used to extract salidroside, it can increase the yield and purity of the extract, thereby ensuring the quality and yield of salidroside. However, microwave leakage and fluctuating temperatures can affect the operator, so this method is not suitable for industrial extraction. It has a fast extraction speed for polar solvents, but has almost no effect on non-polar solvents. Therefore, when using this method, the polarity of the extraction solvent should be considered in order to achieve a better extraction effect.

2.2 Ultrasonic-assisted method

The ultrasonic-assisted method utilizes the action of [24] ultrasonic cavitation, which mainly causes four major effects: interfacial effects, perturbation effects, energy-gathering effects, and turbulence effects. These effects can increase the permeability of cell membranes and cell walls , and even cause the cell wall and the entire organism to rupture. The vibration effect of ultrasound accelerates the release, diffusion and dissolution of substances in the cell, causing the active ingredients in the plant to enter the solvent and further increasing the dissolution of the active ingredients.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction is a relatively mature and well-established extraction technology. Strict control of temperature and ultrasound power is the key to its application. In a study by Gao Wei [25], a response surface method was used to analyze the yield of rhodioloside, and the results showed that the factors affecting the yield were liquid-to-material ratio > temperature > ultrasonic power > extraction time. Wu Meng [26] used this method to extract and separate the active ingredients of Rhodiola rosea, and the results showed that this method has a good effect on the extraction of the active ingredients of Rhodiola rosea.

Like the microwave-assisted method, this method also has the advantages of short operating time, low solvent consumption and high extraction yield when extracting rhodioloside. It also has relatively low extraction process costs and is convenient to maintain, so it has significant economic benefits. At present, despite the rapid development of the ultrasound-assisted method, its shortcomings of loud extraction noise and high extraction power have become urgent problems that need to be solved in industrial production.

2.3 Enzymatic hydrolysis

Enzymatic hydrolysis is a method that uses specific enzymes to carry out corresponding chemical reactions to remove specific structures. Most of the active ingredients of plants are found in the plant cytoplasm, so the solvent needs to overcome the resistance from the cell wall and intercellular matrix during the extraction process. The main components of plant cell walls are cellulose and pectin, so the use of cellulase and pectinase to destroy the cell walls can accelerate the dissolution rate of the active ingredients and achieve high-yield extraction.

Cellulase has the effect of degrading crude fiber, breaking cell walls, and effectively releasing the contents of plant cells, which is conducive to the precipitation and release of effective ingredients in plant cells. Dong Yanli [27] and others studied the effect of cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis on the extraction of salidroside. The results showed that the cellulase enzymatic hydrolysis method had a very good effect and could provide a new optional method for the effective extraction of salidroside. Yue Xianwen [28] studied and compared the extraction efficiency of the active ingredients of Rhodiola rosea by water extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis. The results showed that the extraction rate of the enzymatic hydrolysis method was 74.16% higher than that of the water extraction method.

Enzymatic hydrolysis is a new technology that has been applied to plant extraction in recent years. When used to extract rhodioloside, the mild conditions of the process avoid damage to the structure of the substance caused by high temperatures. It also shortens the extraction time and improves the extraction rate, making it an extraction technique with strong practical value. However, enzymes are also constrained by pH and temperature during the extraction process, which further limits the extraction effect. If enzymatic hydrolysis is combined with other techniques, the shortcomings of enzymatic hydrolysis can be effectively avoided, thereby more efficiently extracting the target components.

3 Conclusion

Rhodioloside is one of the important ingredients in Rhodiola Rosea and has a wide range of applications and commercial value in daily chemical products. In whitening products, rhodioloside is a green additive that can be used in combination with a variety of natural plant extracts to achieve a whitening effect. In sunscreen products, improving the purity of the product will be the direction of its development in the field of sun protection. In addition, rhodioloside has a certain effect on anti-aging . However, there are not many cosmetics products related to it. Compared to anti-aging products, the application of rhodiola extract in skin care products is more common, but the safety of the products needs to be studied in depth. In detergents, most of the products are still in the experimental stage, so more work needs to be done to turn the experimental results into practical products.

Rhodiola extract is a green plant extract. Its application in cosmetics and detergents is non-toxic and harmless to the human body, and is in line with the modern lifestyle. Therefore, the pursuit of new, high-efficiency extraction technologies is the development trend for the laboratory and industrial extraction of rhodiola. Overall, although the microwave method requires a lower temperature, its fluctuating microwave energy and temperature mean that the method can only be used in the experimental stage. The ultrasonic method has been widely used in industrial production because it makes up for the shortcomings of the microwave method in terms of temperature. In contrast, the enzymatic method has mild operating conditions, a short extraction time and a high extraction rate. Therefore, the application of this method to extract rhodioloside will be the future development direction. It is believed that with the continuous development of research, there will be more and more encouraging results in the application and extraction of rhodioloside.

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[12] Chen Nuju. A moisturizing and anti-aging milk of Rhodiola rosea: CN108309915A [P]. 2018-07-24.

[13] Li Hui. Intervention effect of rhodioloside on skin aging caused by fine particulate matter in mice and preliminary mechanism exploration [D]. Southern Medical University, 2018.

[14] Zhou Sisi, Jiang Jianguo. Anti-aging effect of Rhodiola rosea on human skin HSF and HaCaT cells [J]. Modern Food Science and Technology, 2018, 34(8):16-23.

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[17] Xu Ying. Principles of detergent formulation [J]. Popular Standardization, 2002(12):39-40.

[18] Chen Longdi. Rhodiola rosea liquid detergent for tableware: CN103205324A[P]. 2013-07-17.

[19] Du Shiliang. A sheep wool treatment agent containing rhodiola and its method of use: CN105908495A[P]. 2016-08-31.

[20] Huang Meirong. Rhodiola low-irritation skin care soap: CN103666885A[P]. 2014-03-26.