Rosmarinus officinalis herb, Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. Rosmarinus officinalis is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae.

Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of rosemary extracts linked to their polyphenol composition.
Free Radic Res. 2006 Feb;40(2): Moreno S, Scheyer T, Romano CS, Vojnov AA. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas, Buenos Aires I.I.B.B.A.-CONICET, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Fundación Instituto Leloir, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires, 1405, Argentina.
Rosmarinus officinalis extracts were investigated to identify bioactive compounds. A good correlation between the antioxidant activities and total phenol content in the extracts was found. Although all Rosmarinus officinalis extracts showed a high radical scavenging activity, a different efficacy as antimicrobial agent was observed. Methanol extract containing 30% of carnosic acid, 16% of carnosol and 5% of rosmarinic acid was the most effective antimicrobial against Gram positive bacteria. By contrast, water extract containing only 15% of rosmarinic acid showed a narrow activity. Our results suggested that the antimicrobial rosemary extracts efficacy was associated with their specific phenolic composition. Carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid may be the main bioactive antimicrobial compounds present in rosemary extracts. From a practical point of view, rosemary extract may be a good candidate for functional foods as well as for pharmaceutical plant-based products.

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