Deciphering the therapeutical potentials of rosmarinic acid

Lemon balm is herbal tea used for soothing stomach cramps, indigestion, and nausea. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is one of its chemical constituents known for its therapeutic potentials against cancer, inflammatory and neuronal diseases such as the treatment of neurofibromatosis or prevention from Alzheimer's diseases (AD). Despite efforts, recovery and purification of RA in high yields has not been entirely successful. Here, we report its aqueous extraction with optimal conditions and decipher the structure by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Using various physical-chemical and biological assays, we highlight its anti-aggregation inhibition potentials against the formation of Tau filaments, one of the hallmarks of AD. We then examine its anti-cancer potentials through reduction of the mitochondrial reductase activity in tumor cells and investigate its electrochemical properties by cyclic voltammetry. Our data demonstrates that RA is a prominent biologically active natural product with therapeutic potentials for drug discovery in AD, cancer therapy and inflammatory diseases.

Automated summary

Lemon balm, a herbal tea, has been used for soothing stomach cramps, indigestion, and nausea. One of its chemical constituents, rosmarinic acid (RA), has shown therapeutic potentials against cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study successfully extracted and purified RA, determined its structure using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and investigated its anti-aggregation inhibition potentials, anti-cancer effects, and electrochemical properties. The data demonstrates that RA is a biologically active natural product with therapeutic potentials for drug discovery in AD, cancer therapy, and inflammatory diseases.