Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd) Ijin, also know as Leuzea, or Maral root, is a plant indigenous to the Lake Baikal region and distributed throughout Eastern Siberia.

After more than 25 years of research and clinical studies, Rhaponticum carthamoides radix et rhizome has been added to the Official Russian Pharmacopoeia that recommends “the herb for increasing work efficiency, athletic performance, and recovery after muscular workloads”. Rhaponticum carthamoides extract were included in the most popular Russian beverages such as “Baikal” and “Sayani”. Elite Russian and Bulgarian athletes have long used Rhaponticum extract to stimulate muscle growth.

In the USA Is was circulated on the underground market for a long time, till 2001 when Fitness Enterprise (Emeric Delczeg ) partnered up with Dr. Zakir Ramazanov and introduced to the USA Fitness Industry market as a dietary supplement, under the name of Ecdy-Kito, a bland of Ecdysterone and Humanofort.

Phytochemistry: Key active constituents responsible for the specific anabolic effect of Rhaponticum carthamoides is a mixture of compounds called, “levseins”. Levseins represent a complex of more than 10 ecdysterones including 20-beta-ecdysterone, makisterone C, 24-dehydromakisterone A, carthamosterone, polypodyne B, and ajugasterone C.

Pharmacology: According to Russian researchers the Leuzea extract stimulates muscle protein synthesis by increasing the activity of the polyribosomes. Polyribosomes are the cellular compartments where the actual protein synthesis takes place. Researchers extracted and purified various ecdysteroids from Leuzea and found that the ecdysteroids increased the mass of the developing quails in a dose-dependent manner, with the rate of increase proportional to the ecdysteroids content. It was evident that the plethora of growth-promoting, vitamin-like effects induced by Leuzea is mediated by ecdysteroids. However, it is important to point out that the mixture of ecdysterones was found to be responsible for the enhancement of muscle protein synthesis. The research indicated that the whole extract of Rhaponticum carthamoides containing a mixture of levseins possesses much superior physiological activity compared with the activity of purified individual constituents (Seifulla 1999). Results indicated that 0.5mg/kg body weight is the optimal dosage of 20-beta-ecdysterone in any sport and performance formula.  In back-to-back studies with the Rhaponticum extract was actually superior to synthetic steroids like Dianabol at inducing endurance and muscle cell growth (Syrov et al. 1976, 1992)

The examination of the difference in action between beta-ecdysterone and synthetic steroids revealed that the latter goes directly to the nucleus of a cell to tell the blueprint, the DNA, to produce more RNA. Then the RNA tells the ribosome to produce more protein. Beta-ecdysterone, on the other hand, goes directly to the ribosome and increases what is called translation, the rate at which new protein is being made (Syrov et al. 1984).

Standardization: There are about 120 phyto-ecdysterones known, from more than 80 species of plants (Lafont 1998). Among more than dozed plant species containing ecdysterones only Rhaponticum carthamoides extract has undergone complete human clinical trials and phytochemical research. Research pointed out that the superior anabolic effect of Rhaponticum carthamoides extract is determined by the content of all levseins (ecdysterones) rather than a single 20-beta-ecdysterone, which is abundant in plants outside of Rhaponticum genus.

Toxicity: From more than 80 species of plants containing phyto-ecdysterones only Leuzea extract was shown very safe for humans at even high dosages. The extract did not produce mortality after administration of very large doses (up to 4 g/kg). After administration of relatively high doses above 10 g/kg, there occurred some functional changes in CNS, manifested by the weakening of some reflexes, a decrease in muscle tone, an increase of the narcotic effects of chloral hydrate, and a tendency towards impaired learning and memory. It is always a good idea to remember that taking “more is not always good” for you.