*Review* **Therapeutic Potential of Rosmarinic Acid: A Comprehensive Review**

**Muhammad Nadeem 1, Muhammad Imran 2, Tanweer Aslam Gondal 3, Ali Imran 4, Muhammad Shahbaz 5, Rai Muhammad Amir 6, Muhammad Wasim Sajid 7, Tahira Batool Qaisrani 8, Muhammad Atif 9, Ghulam Hussain 10, Bahare Salehi 11,\*, Elise Adrian Ostrander 12, Miquel Martorell 13, Javad Sharifi-Rad 14,\*, William C. Cho 15,\* and Natália Martins 16,17,\***


Received: 26 June 2019; Accepted: 29 July 2019; Published: 2 August 2019

**Abstract:** Naturally occurring food-derived active ingredients have received huge attention for their chemopreventive and chemotherapy capabilities in several diseases. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a caffeic acid ester and a naturally-occurring phenolic compound in a number of plants belonging to the Lamiaceae family, such as *Rosmarinus o*ffi*cinalis* (rosemary) from which it was formerly isolated. RA intervenes in carcinogenesis through different ways, including in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and inflammation. On the other hand, it also exerts powerful antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and even antidepressant, anti-aging effects. The present review aims to provide an overview on anticancer activities of RA and to deliberate its therapeutic potential against a wide variety of diseases. Given the current evidence, RA may be considered as part of the daily diet in the treatment of several diseases, with pre-determined doses avoiding cytotoxicity.

**Keywords:** rosemary; rosmarinic acid; anticancer; antidiabetic; cardioprotective; antioxidant; oxidative stress
