Experimental immunology
The influence of Rhodiola rosea extracts and rosavin on cutaneous angiogenesis induced in mice after grafting of syngeneic tumor cells

Anticancer research on the plant species Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) has begun in animal models in 1987. In combination with cyclophosphamide, R. rosea extract enhanced the anti-tumor and anti-metastatic effects of drug treatment and reduced drug-induced toxicity. Combined with Adriamycin®, it improved inhibition of tumor dissemination and prevented liver toxicity. The aim of the present work was to study the effect of rosavin and aqueous and 50% hydroalcoholic extracts of R. rosea roots and rhizomes on neovascular reaction induced in the skin of Balb/c mice after grafting of L-1 sarcoma cells. Mice were treated per os with 50, 100, 200 and 400 µg of extracts, or were fed rosavin in daily doses 2, 4 and 8 µg. After 72 hours mice were sacrificed with lethal dose of Morbital. All newly formed blood vessels were identified and counted in dissection microscope. Both extracts in 100-400 µg daily doses and rosavin in the highest dose highly significantly decreased neovascular reaction.