11.01.01
Among the plants with known antioxidant properties, rosemary is one of the most used and commercialized, especially in the food industry where it used primarily to prevent oxidative rancidity. However, rosemary's potential as a dietary antioxidant has not yet been realized.
The antioxidant capability of rosemary is unique for a number of reasons. In rosemary, at least six phenolic diterpenoids with antioxidant activity have been reported. The most powerful of these phenolic diterpenoids, carnosic acid, appears to have more than one life as an antioxidant. As a carnosic acid molecule does its job of quenching a free radical, it transforms into another antioxidant compound (carnosol). This transformation from one antioxidant compound to another repeats itself three times. This cascade of antioxidant activity is quite uncommon and may explain its positive results in certain in vivo studies. Oxygen species-induced mutagenicity has been reported to be inhibited by rosemary1,2. Cell-mediated oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) has also been inhibited by rosemary3.
Rosemary is also known to contain significant amounts of the phenolic acid, rosmarinic acid. Unlike carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid is a water-soluble antioxidant and extracts containing rosmarinic acid have scored high in ORAC (Oxygen Radical Scavenging Activity) analyses, an in vitro method used to measure the dietary antioxidant capacity of water-soluble substances. Phenolic acids also delay vitamin E depletion4. In addition to its antioxidant activity, rosmarinic acid is also believed to be antiviral and anti-inflammatory.
Current research on the health effects of rosemary compounds indicates that both oil-soluble and water-soluble extracts of rosemary have excellent potential as dietary antioxidants for prevention of the hundreds of conditions associated with free radical production, such as cancer, heart disease and other diseases of aging. Yet there is definitely a lack of education of rosemary's potential benefits for both the consumer and the supplement industry in general. Such a consumer-friendly product should have great potential as a stand-alone product or in antioxidant blends.
References
1. Minnummi, M, et al. Natural antioxidants as inhibitors of oxygen species induced mutagenicity. Mutation Research 1992; 269(2):193-200.
2.Tateo, F and Fellin, M. Rosmarinus officinalis L. Extract production antioxidant and antimutagenic activity. Perfum Flavor 1988; 13(6):48-54.
3. Person, D. A., et al. Inhibition of endothelial cell-mediated oxidation of low-density lipoprotein by rosemary and plant phenolics. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1997; 45(3):578-582.
4. Cartron E., et al. Specific antioxidant activity of caffeoyl derivatives and other natural phenolic compounds: LDL protection against oxidation and decrease in the proinflammatory lysophosphatidylcholine production. Journal of Natural Products 2001; 64(4):480-486.NW
About the author:
Ginny Bank is technical director at RFI Ingredients, Blauvelt, NY, a supplier of herbal ingredients, including OxyPhyte™, an antioxidant blend containing rosemary extract. She can be reached at720-304-7335; Fax: 720-304-7336; E-mail: ginnyb@rfiingredients.com.
The antioxidant capability of rosemary is unique for a number of reasons. In rosemary, at least six phenolic diterpenoids with antioxidant activity have been reported. The most powerful of these phenolic diterpenoids, carnosic acid, appears to have more than one life as an antioxidant. As a carnosic acid molecule does its job of quenching a free radical, it transforms into another antioxidant compound (carnosol). This transformation from one antioxidant compound to another repeats itself three times. This cascade of antioxidant activity is quite uncommon and may explain its positive results in certain in vivo studies. Oxygen species-induced mutagenicity has been reported to be inhibited by rosemary1,2. Cell-mediated oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL) has also been inhibited by rosemary3.
Rosemary is also known to contain significant amounts of the phenolic acid, rosmarinic acid. Unlike carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid is a water-soluble antioxidant and extracts containing rosmarinic acid have scored high in ORAC (Oxygen Radical Scavenging Activity) analyses, an in vitro method used to measure the dietary antioxidant capacity of water-soluble substances. Phenolic acids also delay vitamin E depletion4. In addition to its antioxidant activity, rosmarinic acid is also believed to be antiviral and anti-inflammatory.
Current research on the health effects of rosemary compounds indicates that both oil-soluble and water-soluble extracts of rosemary have excellent potential as dietary antioxidants for prevention of the hundreds of conditions associated with free radical production, such as cancer, heart disease and other diseases of aging. Yet there is definitely a lack of education of rosemary's potential benefits for both the consumer and the supplement industry in general. Such a consumer-friendly product should have great potential as a stand-alone product or in antioxidant blends.
References
1. Minnummi, M, et al. Natural antioxidants as inhibitors of oxygen species induced mutagenicity. Mutation Research 1992; 269(2):193-200.
2.Tateo, F and Fellin, M. Rosmarinus officinalis L. Extract production antioxidant and antimutagenic activity. Perfum Flavor 1988; 13(6):48-54.
3. Person, D. A., et al. Inhibition of endothelial cell-mediated oxidation of low-density lipoprotein by rosemary and plant phenolics. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 1997; 45(3):578-582.
4. Cartron E., et al. Specific antioxidant activity of caffeoyl derivatives and other natural phenolic compounds: LDL protection against oxidation and decrease in the proinflammatory lysophosphatidylcholine production. Journal of Natural Products 2001; 64(4):480-486.NW
About the author:
Ginny Bank is technical director at RFI Ingredients, Blauvelt, NY, a supplier of herbal ingredients, including OxyPhyte™, an antioxidant blend containing rosemary extract. She can be reached at720-304-7335; Fax: 720-304-7336; E-mail: ginnyb@rfiingredients.com.
