Phenolic Compounds in Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.): Scientific Review

Rosemary is a valuable medicinal and aromatic plant of the family Lamiaceae and has been used extensively as food, drug and cosmetic. Its scientific value is closely tied to the high concentration of non-volatile bioactive compounds, such as phenolics, of which Rosmarinus acid, carnosic acid, carnosol and phenolic diterpene related compounds are the most prominent and play an important role in deciding its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and other functional properties. Recent literature was synthesized in this review to present data regarding the phenolic profile of rosemary, Salvia Rosmarinus, although Rosmarinus officinalis was the major synonym in much of the agronomic and phytochemical literature in recent years. Special attention is given to the classification of rosemary phenolics, their biosynthetic pattern, the distribution of rosemary phenolics across various tissues, rosemary genotype effects, light regime and agronomic environment effects, post-harvest handling on phenolics yield and composition, effects of extraction technology on yield and composition of rosemary phenolics, current platforms for characterisation of rosemary phenolics. The review also examines how the phenolics from rosemary are relevant to its functional abilities and the applications of these substances as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, antimicrobial agents, neuroprotective agents, anticancer agents, and preservatives for food, and includes a discussion about the appropriate industrial use of standardized rosemary extracts enriched in carnosic acid and carnosol. Current evidence shows that rosemary should not be viewed merely as a culinary herb or essential-oil crop, but as a strategic plant system for the production of high-value phenolic fractions. Future progress in plant production and value-chain optimization will depend on chemotype-oriented cultivar selection, environmentally informed harvest scheduling, green extraction systems, valorization of processing by-products, and stronger integration between agronomy, analytical chemistry, and application-driven phytochemistry.