The preventive effect of aqueous extract of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves against the nephrotoxicity of carbon tetrachloride in mice

Rosmarinus officinalis and Methylphenidate Exposure Improves Cognition and Depression and Regulates Anxiety-Like Behavior in AlCl3-Induced Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological illness that causes severe cognitive impairment. AD patients also experience at least one of the neuropsychiatric symptoms including apathy, depression, and anxiety during the course of their life. Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors are the available treatment options to alleviate cognitive deficits, whereas methylphenidate (MPH), a psychostimulant, is considered for the treatment of apathy in AD patients. Rosmarinus officinalis, a perennial herb, has been potentially known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the potential effects of MPH and R. officinalis in comparison with the standard drug, Donepezil, on cognition, anxiety, and depression in the AlCl₃-induced mouse model of AD. The animals were divided into eight groups (n = 8, each). The results revealed that the MPH- and R. officinalis-treated groups significantly improved memory impairment, whereas R. officinalis substantially reduced depression and anxiety as compared with other treatment groups. MPH treatment induced an antidepressant effect and increased anxiety-like behavior. Moreover, the AlCl₃ exposure led to the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques in mice hippocampus; however, none of the tested drugs caused a significant reduction in amyloid burden at the selected doses. The present study suggested the potential of R. officinalis to improve memory as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD. Although R. officinalis improved cognitive abilities, it did not reduce the amyloid plaque burden, which indicates that the memory-enhancing effects of R. officinalis are due to some alternate mechanism that needs to be explored further.

Optimizing the Method of Rosemary Essential Oils Extraction by Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)-Characterization and Toxicological Assessment

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a plant with needle-shaped leaves. It is mainly found in Mediterranean regions (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia). Rosemary essential oil (EO) has several therapeutic virtues that were widely studied. However, the use of this EO is restricted due to its sensitivity to oxidation. Nanoencapsulation based on EO and polymers has been developed as one of the promising techniques to overcome this limitation. In this study, the emphasis was on optimizing the extraction and formulation of a food additive based on rosemary EO. In fact, the results showed that rosemary EO extraction depended on the parameters of the extraction process, and the optimum heating temperature and extraction time were determined using an experimental design methodology. The parameters for extraction were chosen as follows: heating temperature of 250 °C and a hydrodistillation time of 180 min. This optimization revealed that the maximum oil yield can be obtained. Rosemary EO was characterized by a dominance of 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene, borneol and camphene as well as by high antioxidant and antibacterial capacities with low acute toxicity. The obtained formulation of a stable rosemary EO powder can be used as a food additive in several industrial applications.

An updated review of protective effects of rosemary and its active constituents against natural and chemical toxicities

Natural and chemical toxic agents cause severe adverse effects on people's health in a variety of exposing ways. Herbal medications have taken into consideration as alternative safe treatments for toxicities. Rosmarinus officinalis also known as rosemary belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Rosemary and its constituents including carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, and carnosol have a lot of benefits such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-mutagenic, anti-bacterial, antiviral, antinociceptive, and neuroprotective activities. In this literate review, we focused on the protective effects of rosemary and its main compounds against natural and chemical toxicities in both in vitro and in vivo studies. The protective effects of rosemary and its components are mostly mediated through different mechanisms such as the inhibition of oxidative stress, reduction of inflammatory mediators including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-17 (IL-17), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor ĸB (NF-ĸB) as well as the modulation of apoptosis and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways.