Rosmarinus officinalis L. constituição química e atividades biológicas

Abstract

The species Rosmarinus officinalis L. belonging to the family Lamiaceae, popularly known as rosemary, has millenary use in traditional medicine, being widely used in the treatment of several diseases, such as healing, antimicrobial, antioxidant and nasal clearance. In this context, the present work aimed to conduct a bibliographic survey aiming to know and organize the available scientific contributions on chemical composition and biological activities, in vivo and in vitro, reported for the species and isolated compounds. Eighty-eight references were found in lilacs, pubmed, scielo and google academic databases, consistent with the inclusion and exclusion criteria defined. The main biological activities reported for the extracts and compounds isolated from the species were antineoplastic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Some studies evaluating the antidepressant activity of the species were also found. In the chemical composition of the species diterpenes stand out, constituents of essential oils, flavonoids and triterpenes, to which biological activities are attributed. Antineoplastic activity occurs due to the interruption of the cell cycle of tumor cells by carnogenic and rosmarinic acid. The coffeeic, carnósic, rosmarinic, ursolic, betulynic and carnosol acids act in the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting cyclooxygenases 1 and 2. Antidepressant activities were related to increased serotonin concentration. Studies show that the species is an excellent source of compounds with pharmacological properties, being an option for the development of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory herbal medicines, besides showing itself as a promising source of antineoplastic compounds.