Anticancer Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L.: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potentials

doi:10.3390/nu12061739

Review

. 2020 Jun 10;12(6):1739.

doi: 10.3390/nu12061739.

Anticancer Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L.: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potentials

Alessandro Allegra¹, Alessandro Tonacci², Giovanni Pioggia³, Caterina Musolino¹, Sebastiano Gangemi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Haematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
² Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), 56124 Pisa, Italy.
³ Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 98164 Messina, Italy.
⁴ School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.

PMID: 32532056
PMCID: PMC7352773
DOI: 10.3390/nu12061739

Review

Anticancer Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L.: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potentials

Alessandro Allegra et al. Nutrients. 2020.

. 2020 Jun 10;12(6):1739.

doi: 10.3390/nu12061739.

Authors

Alessandro Allegra¹, Alessandro Tonacci², Giovanni Pioggia³, Caterina Musolino¹, Sebastiano Gangemi⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Haematology, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.
² Clinical Physiology Institute, National Research Council of Italy (IFC-CNR), 56124 Pisa, Italy.
³ Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation (IRIB), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 98164 Messina, Italy.
⁴ School and Operative Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98125 Messina, Italy.

PMID: 32532056
PMCID: PMC7352773
DOI: 10.3390/nu12061739

Abstract

Alternative treatments for neoplastic diseases with new drugs are necessary because the clinical effectiveness of chemotherapy is often reduced by collateral effects. Several natural substances of plant origin have been demonstrated to be successful in the prevention and treatment of numerous tumors. Rosmarinus officinalis L. is a herb that is cultivated in diverse areas of the world. There is increasing attention being directed towards the pharmaceutical capacities of rosemary, utilized for its anti-inflammatory, anti-infective or anticancer action. The antitumor effect of rosemary has been related to diverse mechanisms, such as the antioxidant effect, antiangiogenic properties, epigenetic actions, regulation of the immune response and anti-inflammatory response, modification of specific metabolic pathways, and increased expression of onco-suppressor genes. In this review, we aim to report the results of preclinical studies dealing with the anticancer effects of rosemary, the molecular mechanisms related to these actions, and the interactions between rosemary and anticancer drugs. The prospect of utilizing rosemary as an agent in the treatment of different neoplastic diseases is discussed. However, although the use of rosemary in the therapy of neoplasms constitutes a fascinating field of study, large and controlled studies must be conducted to definitively clarify the real impact of this substance in clinical practice.

Keywords: Rosmarinus officinalis L.; cancer; carnosic acid; carnosol; chemoresistance; leukemia; rosemary; synergistic effect.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Rosemary effects on various types of cancers (red arrows: inhibition/blockade; green arrows: promotion): (a) stopping the activation of carcinogens, (b) increasing antioxidant enzyme activities, (c) reducing tumour-stimulating inflammation, (d) decreasing cell growth, (e) stimulating programmed cell death, (f) promoting the reduction of tumour angiogenesis and invasion.

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References

1. Barrajón-Catalán E., Herranz-López M., Joven J., Segura-Carretero A., Villaverde A.C., Menéndez J.A., Micol V. Molecular promiscuity of plant polyphenols in the management of age-related diseases: Far beyond their antioxidant properties. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2014;824:141–159. - PubMed
1. Al-Sereiti M.R., Abu-Amer K.M., Sen P. Pharmacology of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Linn.) and its therapeutic potentials. Ind. J. Exp. Biol. 1999;37:124–130. - PubMed
1. Commission Directive 2010/67/EU of 20 October 2010 amending Directive 2008/84/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners. Off. J. Eur. Union. 2010;277:17–26.
1. Moss M., Cook J., Wesnes K., Duckett P. Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. Int. J. Neurosci. 2003;113:15–38. doi: 10.1080/00207450390161903. - DOI - PubMed
1. Kelsey N.A., Wilkins H.M., Linseman D.A. Nutraceutical antioxidants as novel neuroprotective agents. Molecules. 2010;15:7792–7814. doi: 10.3390/molecules15117792. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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[1] Barrajón-Catalán E., Herranz-López M., Joven J., Segura-Carretero A., Villaverde A.C., Menéndez J.A., Micol V. Molecular promiscuity of plant polyphenols in the management of age-related diseases: Far beyond their antioxidant properties. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2014;824:141–159. - PubMed

[2] Barrajón-Catalán E., Herranz-López M., Joven J., Segura-Carretero A., Villaverde A.C., Menéndez J.A., Micol V. Molecular promiscuity of plant polyphenols in the management of age-related diseases: Far beyond their antioxidant properties. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2014;824:141–159. - PubMed

[3] Al-Sereiti M.R., Abu-Amer K.M., Sen P. Pharmacology of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Linn.) and its therapeutic potentials. Ind. J. Exp. Biol. 1999;37:124–130. - PubMed

[4] Al-Sereiti M.R., Abu-Amer K.M., Sen P. Pharmacology of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Linn.) and its therapeutic potentials. Ind. J. Exp. Biol. 1999;37:124–130. - PubMed

[5] Commission Directive 2010/67/EU of 20 October 2010 amending Directive 2008/84/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners. Off. J. Eur. Union. 2010;277:17–26.

[6] Commission Directive 2010/67/EU of 20 October 2010 amending Directive 2008/84/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners. Off. J. Eur. Union. 2010;277:17–26.

[7] Moss M., Cook J., Wesnes K., Duckett P. Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. Int. J. Neurosci. 2003;113:15–38. doi: 10.1080/00207450390161903. - DOI - PubMed

[8] Moss M., Cook J., Wesnes K., Duckett P. Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults. Int. J. Neurosci. 2003;113:15–38. doi: 10.1080/00207450390161903. - DOI - PubMed

[9] Kelsey N.A., Wilkins H.M., Linseman D.A. Nutraceutical antioxidants as novel neuroprotective agents. Molecules. 2010;15:7792–7814. doi: 10.3390/molecules15117792. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[10] Kelsey N.A., Wilkins H.M., Linseman D.A. Nutraceutical antioxidants as novel neuroprotective agents. Molecules. 2010;15:7792–7814. doi: 10.3390/molecules15117792. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Anticancer Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L.: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potentials

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Anticancer Activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L.: Mechanisms of Action and Therapeutic Potentials

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Conflict of interest statement

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