Rosa Davurica Extract

Rosa davurica Pall., commonly known as Dahurian rose or Dahurian rose fruit, is a deciduous wild rose shrub native to northeastern, northern, and northwestern China, extending into southeastern Russia, Mongolia, and the Korean Peninsula. It grows to a height of 1.5 meters, forming dense thickets along forest edges, grassy slopes, and open glades at altitudes between 400 and 2500 meters. The plant features upright, cylindrical stems with yellowish, hooked prickles that arise in pairs at the base of leaves or leaflets, a defining adaptation for defense against herbivores. Its compound leaves consist of 7 to 9 ovate to lanceolate leaflets, each 1.5–3.5 cm long, with serrated margins, dark green upper surfaces, and grayish-green undersides marked by glandular dots and sparse pubescence. Flowers bloom singly or in small clusters of two to three during June and July, displaying pale to deep pink petals, 3–4 cm in diameter, with a sweet, subtle fragrance. The fruit, known botanically as a hip, is a spherical to ovoid aggregate fruit measuring 1–1.5 cm in diameter, ripening to a vivid red by August–September. Unlike many cultivated roses, the hip of Rosa davurica is smooth, non-hairy, and retains its persistent, erect sepals after maturity. The fruit is exceptionally rich in bioactive compounds, containing up to 2.8% vitamin C by dry weight—among the highest concentrations found in any wild fruit—and is also a significant source of flavonoid glycosides such as hyperin and quercetin, phenolic acids, triterpenoids, and polysaccharides. These constituents confer potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antihyperglycemic properties, underpinning its traditional use in Chinese herbal medicine for treating fatigue, respiratory ailments, and skin conditions. In northern China, the ripe hips are traditionally harvested, dried, and consumed raw, brewed into teas, or processed into jams, syrups, and fruit wines.