Title:A Mini-review on the Chemical Composition, Extraction and Isolation
Techniques, and Pharmacological Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L.
Volume: 4
Issue: 2
Author(s): Xiao Lin, Luo Haimeng, Ji Xiaoyun, Ren Yaoyao, Wu Xianqing and Jiang Hezhong*
Affiliation:
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, P.R. China
Keywords:
Rosmarinus officinalis L., essential oils, pharmacological effects, extraction, separation, chemical composition.
Abstract: Rosmarinus officinalis L. belongs to the genus Rosemary in the family Labiatae, which
is a perennial evergreen subshrub. It is currently cultivated in certain areas of Yunnan, Guangxi,
and Guizhou. At present, in food, cosmetics, healthcare products, and other domains, R. officinalis
has a wide range of applications; it has received widespread attention, and is also a hot topic of
research today. Using modern spectroscopic techniques, it has been found that the main chemical
components of rosemary can be divided into two major groups, including volatile components
(essential oils) and non-volatile components (diterpenes, triterpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids,
sterols, etc.). Among them, carnosic acid, carnosol, rosemary phenol, and 1,8-cineole are the main
components acting as antioxidants and they are highly regarded. The main methods for extracting
the active ingredients of R. officinalis include water distillation, ultrasonic-assisted microwave
method, supercritical CO2 extraction method, enzyme-assisted extraction method, and microwaveassisted
extraction method. Modern research has shown that rosemary has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant,
antibacterial, antiviral, antitumor, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, immunomodulatory,
antiseptic, and antithrombotic effects, and is widely used in medical applications.