Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis, Lamiaceae

Common names: Polar Plant, Compass-weed, Compass Plant, Alecrim (Brazil)

Plant description: Rosemary is an evergreen shrubby herb, recent growth green and pliable becoming woody with age, with numerous leaves arranged in an opposite fashion, sessile, linear, dark green above and light-green below, 2.5-3 cm in length. The flowers are small and pale blue, and much of the active volatile constituents are said to reside in the calyces.  The leaves and flowers have a distinctive balsamic-aromatic smell that characterizes Rosemary.

Habitat, ecology and distribution: Rosemary is native to southern Europe and areas adjacent to the Mediterranean.  It is now commonly cultivated as a culinary and medicinal herb.

Part used: leaves.

History: Rosemary has long been associated with memory, used traditionally as a symbol of commitment, to fidelity in marriage or in remembrance at death.  It was also burned as an incense, with herbs such as Juniper, to ward off negative influences, and was more generally used to decorate buildings and rooms during festive occasions. Rosemary is associated with the feminine, and more specifically with the matron of the home ≠ it is said that Rosemary grows well in a place where the women are strong. The Spanish regard Rosemary as sacred to Virgin Mary, and prior to this was used to ward off evils spirits.  It is a traditional belief among the Sicilians that young fairies, taking the form of snakes, lie amongst the branches.  Grieve reports that the Countess of Hainault, Queen Philippa's mother, sent the first Rosemary plants to England.  Shortly after, Rosemary made its way into Banckes' Herbal (1525), which states the following: "'Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and binde it to thy right arme in a linnen cloath and it shale make theee light and merrie. Take the flowers and put them in thy chest among thy clothes or among thy Bookes and Mothes shall not destroy them. Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face therewith and thy browes, and thou shalt have a faire face. Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be delivered of all evill dreames. Take the leaves and put them into wine and it shall keep the wine from all sourness and evill savours, and if thou wilt sell thy wine thou shalt have goode speede. Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water and washe thyself and thou shalt wax shiny. Also if thou have lost appetite of eating boyle well these leaves in cleane water and when the water is colde put thereunto as much of white wine and then make sops, eat them thereof wel and thou shalt restore thy appetite againe. If thy legges be blowen with gowte, boyle the leaves in water and binde them in a linnen cloath and winde it about thy legges and it shall do thee much good. If thou have a cough drink the water of the leaves boyld in white wine and ye shall be whole. Take the Timber thereof and burn it to coales and make powder thereof and rubbe thy teeth thereof and it shall keep thy teeth from all evils. Smell it oft and it shall keep thee youngly. Also if a man have lost his smellyng of the ayre that he may not draw his breath, make a fire of the wood, and bake his bread therewith, eate it and it shall keepe him well. Make thee a box of the wood of rosemary and smell to it and it shall preserve thy youth'" (1971).

Constituents: Like many aromatic members of the Lamiaceae the essential oil is among the most important constituents in Rosemary, which is upwards of 0.5% of the plant, comprised primarily of monoterpene hydrocarbons including alpha and beta pinenes, camphene and limonene, together with camphor (upwards of 10%), cineole, borneol, linalool, verbinol, terpineol, 3-octane and isobornyl acetate.  Other important constituents in Rosemary include a variety of flavonoids, including diosmetin, diosmin, genkwanin and derivatives, luteolin and derivatives, hispidulin and apigenin.  Rosemary is also stated to contain terpenes such as carnosol, oleanic and ursolic acid triterpenes, as well as phenols such as caffeic, chlorogenic, labiatic, neochlorogenic and rosmarinic acid (Newall et al 1996, 229).

Medical Research: Rosemary has undergone some preliminary investigation, with in vitro studies showing antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and a mildly antimicrobial activity.  Several of these studies concern the use of Rosemary essential oil, or purified constituents such as rosmarinic and carnosic acid, rather than the whole herb. 
•Antioxidant: Caffeic acid and its derivatives such as rosmarinic acid have been shown to have strong antioxidant activities. The phenolic compound, rosmarinic acid, obtains one of its phenolic rings from phenylalanine via caffeic acid and the other from tyrosine via dihydroxyphenyl-lactic acid. Rosmarinic acid is well absorbed from gastrointestinal tract and from the skin, increasing the production of prostaglandin E2, reducing the production of leukotriene B4 in human polymorphonuclear leucocytes, and inhibiting the complement system, in vivo (al-Sereiti et al 1999). 
•Antispasmodic:: Al-Sereiti et al report that an extract of Rosemary has been shown to relax tracheal and intestinal smooth muscle, and is choleretic (1999).
•Antimicrobial: A liquid, deodorized rosemary extract was tested for antioxidant and antiviral activities in vitro. The Rosemary extract (Herbor 025) inhibited peroxidation of phospholipid liposomes with 50% inhibition concentration values of 0.0009% (v/v) and 0.0035% (v/v), respectively. The main active components in the herbal preparations were determined to be carnosol and carnosic acid.  Purified carnosol exhibited definite anti-HIV activity at a concentration (8 microM) but was not cytotoxic (Aruoma 1996).
•Aromatherapy: EEG activity, alertness, and mood were assessed in 40 adults given 3 minutes of aromatherapy with Rosemary (considered a stimulating odor). Participants were also given simple math computations before and after the therapy. Participants showed decreased frontal alpha and beta power, suggesting increased alertness. They also had lower state anxiety scores, reported feeling more relaxed and alert and they were only faster, not more accurate, at completing the math computations after the aromatherapy session (Diego et al 1998).
•Hepatotoxicity:A dried ethanol extract of the aerial parts of Rosmarinus tomentosus (Lamiaceae) and its major fraction separated by column chromatography (fraction F19) were evaluated for antihepatotoxic activity in rats with acute liver damage induced by a single oral dose of thioacetamide. Silymarin was used as a reference antihepatotoxic substance. Pre-treatment with R. tomentosus ethanol extract, fraction F19 or silymarin significantly reduced the impact of thioacetamide toxicity on plasma protein and urea levels as well as on plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities compared with thioacetamide-treated animals (group T). Pre-treatment with R. tomentosus ethanol extract significantly reduced the impact of thioacetamide damage on alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities compared with group T. Fraction F19 administration reduced only alkaline phosphatase activity compared with group T (Galiesto et al 2000).
•Cosmetics:Skin is particularly vulnerable to free radical damage because of its contact with oxygen and with other environmental stimuli. Researchers investigated the effect of an ethanol extract of Rosemary to protect free radical-induced skin damage. Results indicate that Rosemary has a strong antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo systems, and is capable of inhibiting oxidative alterations to skin surface lipids (Calabrese 2000).

Toxicity: Rosemary is a safe culinary herb.  Exceptionally large doses may have an abortifacient activity, and Rosemary EO may promote seizures in exceptionally sensitive individuals (Newall et al 1996).

Herbal action: cardiovascular stimulant, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, carminative, analgesic, sedative, antimicrobial, thymoleptic

Indications: circulatory stasis, peripheral coldness, weakness, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, hypotension, melancholia, memory loss, mental confusion, heart constriction, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, anemia, headaches, neuralgia

Contraindications and cautions: symptoms of acute heat

Medicinal uses: Rosemary is an important herb to stimulate and restore the body, awakening and enlivening metabolic processes, working to remove accumulated congestion.  It is a mild herb, and for this reason is ideally suited in weakened conditions, such as pediatrics or geriatrics, or in mild, subtle conditions.  It is particularly valued to restore the memory and is said to awaken the spirits to arrest feelings or sadness and depression, and because this, and its gentle stimulant activities on the heart and arterial system, it is an excellent remedy for elderly patients.  For this purpose it can be combined with similar herbs such as Hawthorn, Garlic and Bilberry, or combined with Garlic and Black Pepper and infused in olive oil makes a delicious and medicinally active condiment used against cold and congestion. As an infusion Rosemary is a good treatment for mild headaches and colds, and is an important herb in beauty care, valued by women for millennia as a hair rinse and cosmetic agent.  As a bath Rosemary is stated by Weiss as being useful to invigorate the body in hypotension (1988, 186).  The essential is a good antimicrobial when applied topically, and may be effective in neuralgia.  As an aromatherapeutic agent Rosemary is useful to enhance concentration and awareness, useful in offices and schools.

Pharmacy and dosage:
•Fresh Plant Tincture: fresh herb, 1:2, 70-90% alcohol, 3-60 gtt
•Dry Plant Tincture: recently dried herb, 1:3, 50% alcohol, 3-60 gtt, 1-3 mL
•Acetum Tincture: recently dried herb, 1:7, 5-15 mL
•Hot Infusion: recently dried herb, 1:20, 60-120 mL
•Powder: recently dried herb, finely sieved, 500-3000 mg

REFERENCES

al-Sereiti MR, Abu-Amer KM, Sen P. 1999. Pharmacology of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Linn.) and its therapeutic potentials. Indian J Exp Biol Feb;37(2):124-30
Aruoma OI, Spencer JP, Rossi R, Aeschbach R, Khan A, Mahmood N, Munoz A, Murcia A, Butler J, Halliwell B. 1996. An evaluation of the antioxidant and antiviral action of extracts of rosemary and Provencal herbs. Food Chem Toxicol. May;34(5):449-56
Calabrese V, Scapagnini G, Catalano C, Dinotta F, Geraci D, Morganti P. 2000. Biochemical studies of a natural antioxidant isolated from rosemary and its application in cosmetic dermatology. Int J Tissue React 22(1):5-13
Diego MA, Jones NA, Field T, Hernandez-Reif M, Schanberg S, Kuhn C, McAdam V, Galamaga R, Galamaga M. 1998. Aromatherapy positively affects mood, EEG patterns of alertness and math computations. Int J Neurosci Dec;96(3-4):217-24
Galisteo M, Suarez A, del Pilar Montilla M, del Pilar Utrilla M, Jimenez J, Gil A, Faus MJ, Navarro M. 2000. Antihepatotoxic activity of Rosmarinus tomentosus in a model of acute hepatic damage induced by thioacetamide. Phytother Res. Nov;14(7):522-6
Grieve, Maude. 1971. A Modern Herbal. New York: Dover Publications.
Newall, Carol A., Linda A. Anderson and J.D. Phillipson. 1996. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Health-Care Professionals. London: The Pharmaceutical Press.
Weiss, Rudolf. 1988. Herbal Medicine. Translated by A.R. Meuss. Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield Publishers