Rosmarinic Acid

Rosmarinic acid is a caffeic acid ester found in many aromatic plants such as rosemary, oregano, basil, sage, hyssop, and more.

Links to Plants Containing Rosmarinic acid

RESEARCH

The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the topic, with a very brief overview description of each article/study.  This compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use of any herb listed.

GENERAL

• The highest amount of rosmarinic acid content was found in Mentha species especially M. spicata.  From:  Shekarchi, M., Hajimehdipoor, H., Saeidnia, S., Gohari, A. R., & Hamedani, M. P. (2012). Comparative study of rosmarinic acid content in some plants of Labiatae family. Pharmacognosy magazine, 8(29), 37.
• Rosmarinic  acid from rosemary showed neuroprotective, cardiac protective, anti-cancer, anxiolytic, and antiviral activities in this review of research.  From:  de Oliveira, J. R., Camargo, S. E. A., & de Oliveira, L. D. (2019). Rosmarinus officinalis L.(rosemary) as therapeutic and prophylactic agent. Journal of Biomedical Science, 26(1), 5.

ANTIOXIDANT

• Origanum vulgare, Melissa officinalis, Rosmarinus officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, Salvia officinalis, and Hyssopus officinalis were test and O. vulgare extracts exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity, and the highest rosmarinic acid and polyphenolic contents. L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and C. albicans were pathogens affected by all six extracts.  From:  Benedec, D., Hanganu, D., Oniga, I., Tiperciuc, B., Olah, N. K., Raita, O., … & Vlase, L. (2015). Assessment of rosmarinic acid content in six Lamiaceae species extracts and their antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. Pak. J. Pharm. Sci, 28(6), 2297-2303.
• Rosmarinic acid was effective in preventing lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress in situ.  From:   Fadel, O., El Kirat, K., & Morandat, S. (2011). The natural antioxidant rosmarinic acid spontaneously penetrates membranes to inhibit lipid peroxidation in situ. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Biomembranes, 1808(12), 2973-2980.
• Rosmarinic acid was radical scavenging and there was the existence of a synergistic effect between α-tocopherol and rosmarinic acid in Ocimum basilicum.  From:  Jayasinghe, C., Gotoh, N., Aoki, T., & Wada, S. (2003). Phenolics composition and antioxidant activity of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 51(15), 4442-4449.
• Seasonal variation in key antioxidant constituents in rosemary exist.  From:  Luis, J. C., & Johnson, C. B. (2005). Seasonal variations of rosmarinic and carnosic acids in rosemary extracts. Analysis of their in vitro antiradical activity. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 3(1), 106-112.
• A highly positive linear relationship between antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content exists with major types of phenolic constituents from spice extracts being phenolic acids, phenolic diterpenes, flavonoids, and volatile oils. Rosmarinic acid was the dominant phenolic compound and the spices and related families with the highest antioxidant capacity were clove in the Myrtaceae, cinnamon in the Lauraceae, and oregano in the Labiatae.  From:  Shan, B., Cai, Y. Z., Sun, M., & Corke, H. (2005). Antioxidant capacity of 26 spice extracts and characterization of their phenolic constituents. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 53(20), 7749-7759.
• This study evaluated antioxidant activity of rosemary extract and the active constituents carnosol, carnosic acid, and rosmarinic acid.  From:  Frankel, E. N., Huang, S. W., Aeschbach, R., & Prior, E. (1996). Antioxidant activity of a rosemary extract and its constituents, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid, in bulk oil and oil-in-water emulsion. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 44(1), 131-135.
• Carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid content in rosemary impacted radical-scavenging activity and the anti-inflammatory action was mainly based on the carnosic acid content.  From:  Kuhlmann, Annette, and Claudia Röhl. “Phenolic antioxidant compounds produced by in vitro. Cultures of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis.) and their anti-inflammatory effect on lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia.” Pharmaceutical biology 44.6 (2006): 401-410.
• Rosemary extract and its rosmarinic acid constituent showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.  From:  Moreno, S., Scheyer, T., Romano, C. S., & Vojnov, A. A. (2006). Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of rosemary extracts linked to their polyphenol composition. Free radical research, 40(2), 223-231.
• This study assessed the types of antioxidant activity of rosemary constituents: rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, carnasol, and rosmadial.  From:  Pérez-Fons, L., GarzÓn, M. T., & Micol, V. (2009). Relationship between the antioxidant capacity and effect of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) polyphenols on membrane phospholipid order. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 58(1), 161-171.
• This Origanum type high in rosmarinic acid showed antibacterial and antioxidant activity in vitro.  From:  Duletić-Laušević, S., Aradski, A. A., Kolarević, S., Vuković-Gačić, B., Oalđe, M., Živković, J., … & Marin, P. D. (2018). Antineurodegenerative, antioxidant and antibacterial activities and phenolic components of Origanum majorana L.(Lamiaceae) extracts. J. Applied Botany and Food Quality, 91, 126-134.

ANTIMICROBAIL / ANTIBACTERIAL

• Hyptis atrorubens (bushmint), and its constituents: methyl rosmarinate and rosmarinic acid demonstrated bactericidal power.  From:  Abedini, A., Roumy, V., Mahieux, S., Biabiany, M., Standaert-Vitse, A., Rivière, C., … & Hennebelle, T. (2013). Rosmarinic acid and its methyl ester as antimicrobial components of the hydromethanolic extract of Hyptis atrorubens Poit.(Lamiaceae). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013.
• The rosmarinic acid component of basil demonstrated antimicrobial activity.  From:  Bais, H. P., Walker, T. S., Schweizer, H. P., & Vivanco, J. M. (2002). Root specific elicitation and antimicrobial activity of rosmarinic acid in hairy root cultures of Ocimum basilicum. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 40(11), 983-995.
• Rosemary extract and its rosmarinic acid constituent showed antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.  From:  Moreno, S., Scheyer, T., Romano, C. S., & Vojnov, A. A. (2006). Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of rosemary extracts linked to their polyphenol composition. Free radical research, 40(2), 223-231.
• This Origanum type high in rosmarinic acid showed antibacterial and antioxidant activity in vitro.  From:  Duletić-Laušević, S., Aradski, A. A., Kolarević, S., Vuković-Gačić, B., Oalđe, M., Živković, J., … & Marin, P. D. (2018). Antineurodegenerative, antioxidant and antibacterial activities and phenolic components of Origanum majorana L.(Lamiaceae) extracts. J. Applied Botany and Food Quality, 91, 126-134.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

• Rosmarinic acid showed inhibition of the inflammatory allergic response.  From: Osakabe, N., Takano, H., Sanbongi, C., Yasuda, A., Yanagisawa, R., Inoue, K. I., & Yoshikawa, T. (2004). Anti‐inflammatory and anti‐allergic effect of rosmarinic acid (RA); inhibition of seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (SAR) and its mechanism. Biofactors, 21(1‐4), 127-131

ANTI-NOCICEPTIVE

• Rosmarinic acid isolated from extract of Thunbergia laurifolia (laurel clockvine) leaves reduced central and peripheral antinociceptive activities and had an anti-inflammatory effects against acute and chronic types.  From:  Boonyarikpunchai, W., Sukrong, S., & Towiwat, P. (2014). Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of rosmarinic acid isolated from Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 124, 67-73.

ANTI-CANCER

• This mega-analysis reviewed the anti-cancer activities of the constituent rosmarinic acid, found in certain species of the Lamiaceae family, such as Rosmarinus officinalis.  From:  Hossan, M. S., Rahman, S., Bashar, A. A., Jahan, R., Al-Nahain, A., & Rahmatullah, M. (2014). Rosmarinic acid: A review of its anticancer action. World J. Pharm. Pharm. Sci, 3(9), 57-70.
• The main constituents of Ocimum basilicum essential oil: rosmarinic and caffeic acid and eugenol, isoeugenol and linalool were tested against four human cancer cell lines and have been found more effective than the corresponding extract or oil, with the isoeugenol being the major constituent of O. Basilicum essential oil acting as a cancer cell inhibitor.  From:  Zarlaha, A., Kourkoumelis, N., Stanojkovic, T. P., & Kovala-Demertzi, D. (2014). Cytotoxic activity of essential oil and extracts of Ocimum basilicum against human carcinoma cells.  Molecular docking study of isoeugenol as a potent cox and lox inhibitor.  J. Nanomat. Biostruc, 9(3), 907-917.
• The anti-inflammatory effect of rosmarinic acid may reduce certain cancers.  From:  Scheckel, K. A., Degner, S. C., & Romagnolo, D. F. (2008). Rosmarinic acid antagonizes activator protein-1–dependent activation of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in human cancer and nonmalignant cell lines. The Journal of nutrition, 138(11), 2098-2105.

HYPOGLYCEMIC

• Research on the anti-diabetic effect of rosmarinic acid from rosemary is reviewed.  From:  Ngo, Y. L., Lau, C. H., & Chua, L. S. (2018). Review on rosmarinic acid extraction, fractionation and its anti-diabetic potential. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 121, 687-700.

NEURO-MUSCLULAR

• Rosemary and its rosmarinic acid constituent delayed motor dysfunction, reduced degeneration of motor neurons, and extended life span of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice.  From:  Shimojo, Y., Kosaka, K., Noda, Y., Shimizu, T., & Shirasawa, T. (2010). Effect of rosmarinic acid in motor dysfunction and life span in a mouse model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Journal of neuroscience research, 88(4), 896-904.

Compiled by: Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 6/28/19