Author(s): Wiesneth S, Vlachojannis J and Chrubasik-Hausmann S

Abstract: Data from anti-inflammatory and antioxidant in vitro studies suggest that rosehip shell powder should be more effective than that of whole pseudo fruit powder. However, clinical data do not support the in vitro results. We used a photometric assay, ultra performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography to quantify total phenols, total tannins, flavonoids, procyanidins and fatty acids for ten products from Rosa canina L. pseudo fruit and shell to compare their phytochemical compositon in order to get detailed information on their phytoequivalence. Our analyses showed that the content of important active compounds varies greatly between rose hip products and that the Folin-Ciocalteu’s assay values were inappropriate to reflect the content of active compounds. UPLC^® methods are required for the determination of flavonoids and procyanidins, and a gas chromatography method for the fatty acids, to obtain comparable information on the content of co-active ingredients in the rosehip products. The fermented aqueous rose hip shell extract contained more ellagic acid but lessof other co-active ingredients than the powders produced from rose hip shell or whole pseudofruit. The pseudofruit powder Litoflex ^®is presently the only product with moderate evidence of effectiveness. Due to a lack of phytoequivalence, dose-determining studies are required for all other rose hipproducts before they should be considered in treatment schedules of osteoarthritis. Collagen hydro lysate and glucosamine mixtures with small quantities of aqueous rose hip shell extracts do not seem to be promising for osteoarthritic complaints as the evidence for efficacy is weak and our analysis found no traces of rose hip actives in these mixtures.