SFSCA RAS scientists have identified more than 50 beneficial compounds in rhododendron tea

A group of scientists from Siberia and the Far East has identified more than 50 bioactive compounds in the leaves and stems of Rhododendron adamsii (Adams’ rhododendron or Sagan-dali). These include flavonols, coumarins, and phenolic acids, which can be used to develop pharmaceuticals.

Scientists from the Siberian Federal Scientific Centre of Agro-BioTechnologies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk), the Higher Engineering School of Agro-Biotechnologies “Agrobiotech”at the Tomsk State University, the Vavilov Institute of Plant Physiology (St. Petersburg), and the Far Eastern Federal University (Vladivostok) participated in the project.

Sagaandali (which is translated from Buryat as “white wing”) is endemic: the plant can only be found in Siberia and the Far East, and it is particularly abundant around Lake Baikal. Residents of Siberia and the Far East have long used it as an ingredient in teas and infusions for medicinal and preventive purposes. Today, it is often consumed as an alternative to tea and sold under the name “Sagan Daila.” Observations show that Sagan-Daila decoctions are beneficial for diseases of the respiratory system and the gastrointestinal tract, as well as for chronic skin conditions.

Russian scientists have obtained a detailed chemical profile of the sagan-dali plant (Rhododendron adamsii). This will facilitate the use of the plant as a raw material for medicinal substances and dietary supplements with anti-inflammatory, tonic, and other effects.

“We were able to create a complete profile, a sort of a ‘passport’ of the biologically active compounds in sagan-dali. Now we know exactly which compounds, and even in what quantities, can be obtained during extraction. Scientists from other institutes had previously studied this shrub, and we were able to significantly expand our understanding of the plant’s metabolomic profile,” explained Kirill Golokhvast, Doctor of Science in Biology and Director of the SFSCA RAS, to Gazeta.Ru.

In total, scientists have identified more than 50 beneficial compounds in the leaves and stems of Rhododendron adamsii. These include flavonols, coumarins, and phenolic acids. The plants themselves need these compounds for protection, coloration, and survival in harsh conditions. For example, coumarins are among the compounds that give plants their scent. Humans, on the other hand, use them in medicine for the treatment and prevention of diseases.
“We have identified certain compounds in saagan-dali, possibly for the first time. For example, the meroterpenoid daurichromenic acid—a natural antibiotic. We have also confirmed the presence of other compounds in saagan-dali, such as quercetin, which has natural anti-inflammatory properties, and kaempferol, which regulates tumor growth,” the scientist noted.

The next phase of the study involves investigating the effects of these extracts on humans and proposing new therapeutic approaches for the use of medicinal and cosmetic products based on sagan-dali extracts.