carnosic acid

Carnosic acid is a naturally occurring abietane diterpenoid compound found primarily in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and sage (Salvia officinalis). It acts as a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective agent. Mechanistically, carnosic acid activates the KEAP1/NRF2 transcriptional pathway, leading to the induction of phase 2 detoxifying enzymes and cytoprotective proteins that combat oxidative stress and inflammation. It also inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome, contributing to its anti-inflammatory effects. Carnosic acid has demonstrated potential benefits in preclinical models for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease by preventing amyloid-beta-induced neurodegeneration, inducing autophagy, reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines via Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) pathway inhibition, promoting synaptic health, and alleviating metabolic syndrome features in animal studies. The compound is generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the FDA but is not an approved pharmaceutical drug; it is used mainly as a food preservative or dietary supplement ingredient[1][4][5][6].

Other names

carnosic acidSalvin