Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis):

Therapeutic actions:

Antimicrobial, antioxidant, carminitive, circulatory stimulant, hepatoprotective, liver phase I and phase II enhancer, stimulant. (Bone, 2003, p. 389)

Phytochemical constituents that enhance these:

• Bitter principle, phenolic diterpenes – carnosol & carnosic acid; flavonoids, resin, rosmarinic acid, tannins, triterpenoids, volatile oils –
a-pinene, borneol, bornyl acetate, camphene, camphor, 1,8-cineol & linalool. (Mills, 1994. p. 184) (Bone, 2003, p. 390)

Supporting evidence:

Liver metabolism of endogenous oestrogen was enhanced by oral administration of rosemary. Rosemary extract or carnosol or carsonic acid inhibit phase I cytochrome P-450, and enhance phase II glutathione S-transferase activity after oral administration to rats. In vivo studies found liver phase II activity was induced by the diterpenes. An increase in bile flow from both the liver and gallbladder was observed after in vivo injection of freeze-dried rosemary extract. (Bone, 2003, p. 391)