Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the phytochemical profile of a proprietary rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract rich in carnosic acid. A characterization of the (poly)phenolic and volatile fractions of the extract was carried out using mass spectrometric techniques. The (poly)phenolic composition was assessed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MSn) and a total of 57 compounds were tentatively identified and quantified, 14 of these being detected in rosemary extract for the first time. The rosemary extract contained 24 flavonoids (mainly flavones, although flavonols and flavanones were also detected), 5 phenolic acids, 24 diterpenoids (carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmanol derivatives), 1 triterpenoid (betulinic acid), and 3 lignans (medioresinol derivatives). Carnosic acid was the predominant phenolic compound. The volatile profile of the rosemary extract was evaluated by head space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) linked to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sixty-three volatile molecules (mainly terpenes, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and ketones) were identified. This characterization extends the current knowledge on the phytochemistry of Rosmarinus officinalis and is, to our knowledge, the broadest profiling of its secondary metabolites to date. It can assist in the authentication of rosemary extracts or rosemary-containing products or in testing its bioactivity. Moreover, this methodological approach could be applied to the study of other plant-based food ingredients.
Highlights
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), which belongs to the family Lamiaceae, is an aromatic, evergreen, 1-m high shrub with upright stems, whitish-blue flowers and dark green leaves
Thephenolic profile of the proprietary rosemary extract rich in carnosic acid was evaluated using an UHPLC-ESI-MSn untargeted method consisting of two complementary mass spectrometry (MS) conditions [21]
This study described the phytochemical composition of a proprietary rosemary extract rich in carnosic acid with respect to itsphenolic and volatile compounds
Summary
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), which belongs to the family Lamiaceae, is an aromatic, evergreen, 1-m high shrub with upright stems, whitish-blue flowers and dark green leaves. The foliage of the plant is usually used as a common household culinary spice for flavoring [1,2,3]. Mainly derived from the leaves, are common herbal products used as flavoring and antioxidant agents in food processing and cosmetics. They are preferred to synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) [4]. Rosemary has been used in traditional and complementary alternative medicine for its digestive, tonic, astringent, diuretic, and diaphoretic properties [1,2,3].
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