Aqsa Hassan Khawaja, Rai Muhammad Amir
Rosmarinus officinalis L. (family Lamiaceae), widely recognized as rosemary, is a perennial aromatic shrub originally native to the Mediterranean region and now cultivated across diverse regions, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Traditionally, rosemary has been valued as a culinary herb, while modern applications extend to the use of its extracts as natural preservatives and therapeutic agents that enhance both the sensory quality and functional properties of food. Current research has highlighted its potential in improving food quality and extended shelf life as well as managing various health conditions such as, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory disorders, and certain neurological conditions. With increasing consumer demand for natural foods that are, additive-free foods, free of synthetic additives, attention has shifted toward natural preservation systems owing to its abundance of bioactive compounds such as the phenolic diterpenes, carnosic acid and carnosol. Research findings indicate that rosemary extracts possess multiple biological functions, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticidal, and hepatoprotective activities. These extracts are rich in phenolic compounds and these are actually bioactive compounds, although their effectiveness may vary depending on several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Despite their health-promoting potential, the application of rosemary extracts in foods can be restricted due to strong sensory attributes such as bitterness, pungency, and intense aroma. To address these challenges, industrial processes have been developed to isolate odorless and colorless antioxidant fractions, thereby broadening the scope of rosemary in food preservation. Consequently, rosemary is emerging as a versatile, natural solution for food preservation and health promotion. Keywords: Rosemary; phenolic compounds; antioxidant; antimicrobial; Rosmarinus officinalis.