Trypanocide, antileishmania and cytotoxic activities of the essential oil from Rosmarinus officinalis L in vitro

Abstract Rosmarinus officinalis L., like rosemary, is native to the Mediterranean and Asia and is one of the most popular culinary herbs cultivated around the world. It has been used to preserve food or improve its taste, such as in tea and in the preparation herb oils, butters and vinegars. The present study aimed to verify the leishmanicidal and trypanocidal potential of Rosmarinus officinalis L., as well as its essential oil cytotoxicity, in vitro . R. officinalis Lamiaceae presented α-pynene (10.71%), Camphor (11.81%), 1, 8 Cienole (32.90%) and β-caryophyllene (17.77%) as its major compounds. The essential oil’s cytotoxic activity was present in low concentrations such as in those: 125 μg/mL and 62.5 μg/mL. Anti-trypanosome and anti-promastigote activity were respectively ˃125 μg/mL and ˃62.5 μg/mL, thus being considered clinically relevant. It is therefore concluded that the R. officinalis essential oil presents a compound with remarkable antiparasitic activity.