Research on the Effects of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) on the Blood Lipids and Anti-lipid Peroxidation in Rats

To study the effects of rosemary on blood lipid level and lipid peroxidation, the hyperlipidemia SD rats were randomly divided into four groups according to total cholesterol (TC) level, along with a normal control group. Four groups were separately administered rosemary essential oil, aqueous extract, and crude plant powder. Such three parts of rosemary enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and alleviated the peroxidation injury in vivo of hyperlipidemia rats. Plant powder showed better effect on decreasing blood lipids than aqueous extract and essential oil. Rosemary exhibited an obvious inhibitory effect on the increased serum TC and triglyceride (TG) levels, and an antagonistic effect on the increased lipid peroxidation level induced by high fat feedstuff, suggesting that rosemary has significant health benefits and could be explored for the prevention of hyperlipidemia diseases.