ABSTRACT
Rhodiola rosea L. (roseroot) has been categorized as an adaptogen and currently is one of the most studied medicinal plants for its enormous pharmaceutical signicance and more reputably for its bioactive secondary metabolites. Roseroot is difcult to cultivate and develops very slowly both in its natural environment and in cultivation, justifying development of new methods for the production of its bioactive compounds. Several studies on in vitro cell, tissue, and callus culture accompanied by some biotransformation trials have been carried out in the last three decades. To achieve a clear understanding of how to design roseroot in vitro culture systems that maximize the content of their specic natural products, the knowledge of biosynthetic pathway of these glycosides is necessary and indispensable. In this review, the results of in vitro experiments with roseroot and the rst steps concerning the exploration of the biosynthetic pathway of salidroside and cinnamyl alcohol glycosides are summarized.
