Effects of rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, rosmanol, carnosol, and ursolic acid on the pathogenesis of respiratory diseases

• Published in: BioFactors (Oxford) 2023-05, Vol.49 (3), p.478-501
• Main Authors: Farhadi, Faegheh, Baradaran Rahimi, Vafa, Mohamadi, Neda, Askari, Vahid Reza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: allergy; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - genetics; carnosol; Humans; inflammation; lung cancer; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Rosmarinic Acid; Ursolic Acid
• ISSN: 0951-6433; 1872-8081
• DOI: 10.1002/biof.1929

This review aimed to identify preclinical and clinical studies examining the effects of rosmarinic acid (RA), carnosic acid (CaA), rosmanol (RO), carnosol (CA), and ursolic acid (UA) against allergic and immunologic disorders. Various online databases, including PubMed, Science Direct, EMBASE, Web of Sciences, Cochrane trials, and Scopus, were searched from inception until October 2022. Due to the suppression of the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) pathway, the main factor in allergic asthma, RA may be a promising candidate for the treatment of asthma. The other ingredients comprising CA and UA reduce the expression of interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5, and IL‐13 and improve airway inflammation. Rosemary's anti‐cancer effect is mediated by several mechanisms, including DNA fragmentation, apoptosis induction, inhibition of astrocyte‐upregulated gene‐1 expression, and obstruction of cell cycle progression in the G1 phase. The compounds, essentially found in Rosemary essential oil, prevent smooth muscle contraction through its calcium antagonistic effects, inhibiting acetylcholine (ACH), histamine, and norepinephrine stimulation. Additionally, CA exhibits a substantially greater interaction with the nicotinic ACH receptor than a family of medications that relax the smooth muscles, making it a potent antispasmodic treatment. The components have demonstrated therapeutic effects on the immune, allergy, and respiratory disorders.