Carnosic acid from rosemary extracts: a potential chemoprotective agent against aflatoxin BI. An in vitro study.

The article presents a study that investigates the role of carnosic acid (CA), a polyphenolic compound present in rosemary plants, as a potential protective agent against aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced cell damage. It employs the Briggs-Rauscher oscillating reaction (BR) method to verified the free radical scavenging capacity of CA. The study found that CA has a good radical scavenging capacity at pH 7.4. It has also found that a 24 hour pre-treatment with various levels of CA led to a clear, dose-dependent protective effect on cell toxicity, reducing cell death induced by exposure with AFB1. It was noted that the results with the in vitro and chemical studies support the theory that AFB1 induced oxidative stress plays an important role in the cytotoxic mechanism of this mycotoxin.