Carnosic acid and carnosol

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and sage (Salvia officinalis L.) produce the phenolic diterpenes such as carnosic acid and carnosol, which have recently been proposed as significant constituents for the prevention as well as treatment of neurodegenerative pathologies in addition to antioxidant behavior. Mostly aerial parts of the sage and rosemary plants are reported to contain carnosic acid/carnosol; however, the amount of both bioactives may vary pertaining to multiple environmental circumstances such as a variety of plant, growth, treatment, and extraction method. Evaluated by different in vitro and in vivo studies, antioxidant and antimicrobial characteristics of carnosic acid enable the use of such valuable compounds in multiple industries such as beverages, food, personal care, health, and nutrition. Moreover, anticancer, antiangiogenic, antiinflammatory, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective activities have also been reported for carnosic acid and carnosol. This chapter is mainly aimed to highlight the importance of carnosic acid and carnosol in our daily life consumption to combat neurological and metabolic disorders, thus advising the researchers to look for the extraction of such bioactives from plants other than rosemary and sage.