Research Progress on the Mechanism and Application of Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma in the Prevention and Treatment of High Altitude Disease
High altitude disease (HAD) arises from rapid ascent to elevations exceeding 2,500 m, where hypobaric hypoxia, cold, dryness, and intense ultraviolet radiation converge to produce a complex syndrome frequently manifesting as headache, dizziness, emesis, fatigue, and dyspnea; severe cases progress to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema. Epidemiological data indicate a combined HAD incidence of 37% in China, with acute high altitude disease (AHAD) alone reaching 40%, imposing a substantial public health burden. Conventional management relies on staged ascent, oxygen supplementation, and symptomatic pharmacotherapy, yet adverse effects and restricted applicability limit these interventions. Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma, the dried root and rhizome of Rhodiola crenulata (Hook. f. et Thoms.) H. Ohba, has been used since the Eastern Han Dynasty and is classified in the Tibetan medical canon as one of the 'Three Auspicious Treasures.' Its phytochemical profile encompasses phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, volatile oils, and organic acids. Modern pharmacology confirms anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, anti-fatigue, programmed cell death-regulatory, glucose-lipid metabolic, and gut microbiota-modulatory activities. This review synthesizes recent mechanistic and clinical evidence, providing a reference for clinical translation of Rhodiola crenulata in HAD management.