The Impact of Drying Temperature on Phenylpropanoid and Phenylethanoid Content in Clonal Rhodiola Rosea Cv. ‘Mattmark’ Plants

Maintaining a stable content of phenylpropanoids (rosavins: rosavin, rosarin, rosin, and cinnamic alcohol) and phenylethanoids (salidroside and tyrosol) in line with pharmacopoeial standards remains a critical challenge for scaling up the cultivation of Rhodiola rosea L. to meet global demand. One possible cause of low compound levels is the inadequacy of current standardisation methods for raw materials and preparations of Rhodiola rosea. This study aimed to identify the optimal drying temperature for raw materials from even-aged clonal plants of Rhodiola rosea cv. ‘Mattmark’. Results showed that higher drying temperatures reduced phenylethanoid levels, with room-temperature drying is optimal. In contrast, the maximal concentrations of rosavins, mainly rosavin, were detected at increased temperature (80 °C). Analysis of the relative distribution of phenylpropanoids revealed that higher drying temperature causes an increase in the proportion of rosavin and a decrease in cinnamic alcohol content, while rosarin and rosin levels remained stable. It has been shown that rosavin is the dominant phenylpropanoid independently of temperature. Thus, drying rhizomes at 80 °C enhanced rosavin content by 20 % but significantly (by a factor of 1.5-2) reduced total phenylethanoids. Therefore, drying at room temperature is recommended to maximise the total phenylethanoid and phenylpropanoid content in the raw material.