Diary of a herbist. Rosemary.

Diary 7 March 2020

Yes, it always amazes me to see this Southern rosemary bloom in grey Brittany at the beginning of March. For me the opportunity, despite the lack of sun, to turn the flower buds into a kind of tincture. Fresh buds allow to infuse in 2/3 ethanol of 40% and 1/3 liquid honey. I know, for some experts this is not the standard way to make a tincture but the preparation does give a very aromatic preparation that is not only medicinal but also tasty. Slightly diluted, the drink can be advertised and consumed as a liqueur.

Medicinal effects of Rosmarinus vlgs ESCB

The ESCOP European monograph on Rosmarinus reports that anti-hepatotoxic (hepatic protective) action has been demonstrated in various animal studies, as well as cholagogic and choleretic activity. The use of hydrophilic rosemary extracts gave a significant and rapid increase in bile production by a maximum after 30 minutes. In the same study, experts also examined the differences between hydrophilic extracts prepared from the whole plant and alcohol extracts prepared from foothills. Extracts from young foothills showed an increase in bile production of 114%, compared with an increase of 47% with extracts of the whole plant! Follow-up studies on cholagogic and choleretic properties with hydrophilic alcohol extracts in animals showed an increase in bile production to 138% within 40 minutes, followed by a slightly slower release period but ultimately leading to an increase of 218% in bile production within about 100 minutes.

Very many different rosemary extracts (both hydrophilic and lipophilic) have been subject to as many different tests. All studies showed that extracts of rosemary have a powerful antioxidant effect, mainly due to the diterpenes, such as carnosol, rosmanol, carnosolic acid and rosemary acid. The rosemary acid is of great value in the treatment of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) or a shock lung. Symptoms of a shock lung are dyspnea, cyanosis, pulmonary edema due to increased permeability of the pulmonary capillaries. A partial explanation for the positive effect of rosemary acid scientists attribute to its antioxidant action. Research has shown that a decrease in capillary permeability is caused by both diosmin and rutin.