Rosmarini folium

Dried rosemary leaves that look like needles and are used phytotherapeutically.

Quality is defined in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.).

HMPC - Monograph: Traditional-use: Internal: Dyspeptic complaints, mild spasmodic gastrointestinal complaints. External: as a bath additive: mild muscle and joint pain, circulatory complaints.
ESCOP monograph: Internal: improvement of liver and gallbladder function, dyspeptic complaints; external: rheumatic diseases, circulatory complaints, also as an antiseptic for wound healing.
Commission e-monograph: Internal: dyspeptic complaints; external: rheumatic diseases; circulatory complaints.

Empirical medicine: coronary heart disease, functional heart complaints(rosemary oil in heart ointments), loss of appetite, aiding digestion, increasing the secretion of gastric juices, convalescence.

Rosemary contains 2.5 % essential oils(Rosmarini aetheroleum). These contain terpenes such as: cineol, borneol, bornyl acetate, camphor, carnosol, terpineol), 8 % tannins (especially rosmarinic acid), flavonoids, glycolic acid, bitter substances, saponins, resins.

Rosemary can be a component of perfumes (e.g. cologne) and is also widely used as a spice in Mediterranean cuisine.

Antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, choleretic, spasmolytic (bile ducts, large intestine), when used externally, promotes blood circulation.

According to Commission E for dyspeptic complaints, adjuvant for rheumatic complaints, circulation problems.

Internally as tea; 3-4x/day 1TL (about 2g). Externally as an addition to the bath water: 50g leaves with 2L of water, brew for 15 min, enough for 1 full bath.

Hypersensitivity reactions. Contact allergic reactions are known.

None known; the use of the drug should be avoided during pregnancy(BfArM): Risk of toxic reaction with abortion at higher doses internally and promotion of blood circulation as a bath additive.

Children under 12 years of age due to lack of data.

A fixed combination of centaury + lovage root + rosemary leaves is commercially available:

• Rosmarini folium (rosemary leaves)
• Centaurii herba
• Levistici radix (lovage root)
• = Canephron ®N Dragees (Adults: 2-2-2(Children: 1-1-1), which is used for recurrent infections in the uro-genital area.

1. al-Sereiti MR et al.(1999) Pharmacology of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis Linn.) and its therapeutic potentials. Indian J Exp Biol 37:124-130.
2. Amoah SK et al. (2016) Rosmarinic acid-Pharmaceutical and clinical aspects. Planta Med 82:388-406.
3. Ferreira LG et al. (2013) Is rosmarinic acid underestimated as an experimental cardiovascular drug? Acta Cir Bras 28 Suppl 1:83-87.
4. Moore J et al. (2016) Anticancer Effects of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Extract and Rosemary Extract Polyphenols. Nutrients 17:8.
5. Nabavi SF et al. (2015) The cellular protective effects of rosmarinic acid: from bench to bedside. Curr Neurovasc Res 12:98-105.
6. Ritschel WA et al (1989) Percutaneous absorption of rosmarinic acid in the rat. In: Meth. Exp. Clin. Pharmacol 11: 345-353.
7. Tong LX et al (2014) Nutrition: the future of melanoma prevention? J Am Acad Dermatol 71:151-160.
8. https://arzneipflanzenlexikon.info/rosmarin.php.
9. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-community-herbal-monograph-rosmarinus-officinalis-l-folium_en.pdf
10. Wenigmann M. (2017) Phytotherapy medicinal drugs, phytopharmaceuticals, application. Urban & Fischer, pp. 183-184