Study on scavenging free radical and antioxidant effects of nonessential oil in Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaves.

【Objective】 From free-radical biology angle,the effects of nonessential oil extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis L.leaves on scavenging free radical and antioxidant effects were studied to provide a basis for its development in food,healthcare and medical etc.【Method】 We used water,grain alcohol and ethyl acetate as solvent to extract nonessential oil components from R.officinalis L.leaves in Shanghai,then detected scavenging free radical and antioxidant effects of three different mass concentration extracts using chemiluminescence systems of superoxide anion free radical,hydroxyl radical,peroxynitrite and DNA oxidative damage caused by hydroxyl radical and colorimetric systems of lipid pexoxidation and DPPH free radical.The effects of three extracts were compared by calculating the IC50.【Result】 Three extracts of R.officinalis L.can effectively scavenge O-·2,·OH,ONOO-and DPPH·,reduce DNA oxidative damage caused by free radical and inhibit lipid pexoxidation.And it showed that the extract concentration was higher and the effect better.Deionized water extraction had better effect on reducing DNA oxidative damage caused by free radical and inhibitting lipid pexoxidation and the IC50 was 32.3 μg/mL,36.11 μg/mL respectively;grain alcohol extraction had better effect on scavenging O-·2 and ONOO-,and the IC50 was 189.19 μg/mL,1.67 μg/mL respectively;ethyl acetate extraction had better effect on scavenging ·OH and DPPH·,and the IC50 was 4.12 μg/mL,49.55 μg/mL respectively.【Conclusion】 Extracts of R.officinalis L.that can effectively scavenge free radical and resist oxidation are multifunctional free radical scavenger and natural antioxidants.