Book Review pubs.acs.org/jnp
Review of Rhodiola rosea Rhodiola rosea. Edited by A. Cuerrier and K. Ampong-Nyarko (Montreal Botanical Garden and Alberta Agricultural and Rural Development Government, respectively). CRC Press, Boca Raton. 2015. xvi +282 pp. $103.96. 6 × 9 in. ISBN 978-1-43988840-7.
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his book, Volume 14 in the series Traditional and Herbal Medicines for Modern Times, is a timely review of the body of knowledge and ongoing research on Rhodiola rosea, a plant with extensive history as a traditional medicine, particularly in cultures in the northern latitudes of Europe, Asia, and North America, the native range of the plant. Its reported adaptogenic properties have led to growing popularity in the herbal supplement/traditional health products/phytomedicine marketplace. The concept for this book evolved from a session focused on R. rosea at the seventh Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada Conference (Halifax, 2010). The 12 chapters in the book cover the scientific (taxonomy, ethnobotany, conservation, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, safety, and efficacy for stress, age-associated, and psychiatric disorders) and agricultural/commercial (cultivation, diseases, biotechnology, formulation, and marketing) issues. The cited references are largely up to date, considering time from completion of chapters to publication of the book, with a good number of references from 2010 to 2013 and a few from 2014. This book covers R. rosea quite thoroughly and will serve as a useful reference on this plant of increasing importance and interest. The great strength of the book is that the chapter authors and editors have taken pains to point out the gaps in knowledge and priorities and directions for further research. The only striking negative encountered would be that the review copy of the book had several ink-smeared pages, hopefully a production glitch that did not affect the whole run. While a bit pricey for most personal libraries, this book will be of great use to the botanical health products industry, pharmacy/pharmacognosy schools, and anyone conducting research in the area of substances with adaptogenic and antistress activity. The timing of the book is excellent, allowing it to serve as a guide to further research needs for a plant of growing interest.
John H. Cardellina, II
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ReevesGroup Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
© XXXX American Chemical Society and American Society of Pharmacognosy
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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b01092 J. Nat. Prod. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
