The main components of rosemary extract are rosemaryol, carnosol and carnosic acid.  Several main components of rosemary extract have strong antioxidant activity. It has obvious effects in preventing oil oxidation and maintaining meat flavor. There are different extraction methods for different components. The following specifically introduces the extraction methods of four rosemary extracts.

1. Rosemary essential oil

 

The extraction method of rosemary essential oil is that the rosemary leaves in the extraction tank are heated by the hot steam at the bottom, and after volatilization, they are carried by the water vapor to the top condenser, and after condensation, they are separated from oil and water.

 

Rosemary essential oil is currently divided into Rosemary CT cineole, Rosemary CT borneol and Rosemary CT verbenone. Corresponding to different essential oils, the sub-components in the product will be different, so there will be different applications in terms of efficacy. Now the color of rosemary essential oil in domestic is divided into colorless, light yellow and light orange red.

 

2. Rosmarinic Acid

 

A . Solubility problems of rosmarinic acid

 

We offen say that rosmarinic acid is a water-soluble antioxidant. In fact, this statement is not comprehensive. Observing the structural formula of rosmarinic acid, we can see that it contains a lipid-based structure. It should be said that rosmarinic acid is substance belonging to the larger polarity, soluble in water but not only soluble in water, it is also soluble in organic solvents ethyl acetate, n-propanol and other substances.  

 

B. Ash content of Rosmarinic acid

 

The ash content of most plant extracts is less than 5%, but rosmarinic acid is difficult to achieve on this index, usually between 5% and 10%, or higher than 10%.

 

3. Carnosic acid + carnosol

 

The antioxidant process of carnosic acid is a process in which it is oxidized itself and protects the target substance from being oxidized.

 

The process is: carnosic acid-carnosol-Sage quinone-degradation.

 

That is tertiary antioxidant protection. Therefore, it can be understood that carnosol is an oxidation product of carnosic acid.

 

4. Ursolic acid

Ursolic acid solubility issues:

 

At 15°C, 1 ml of ethanol (99%) can dissolve 10 mg ursolic acid, and 1 ml of boiling ethanol can dissolve 45 mg ursolic acid. Ursolic acid can soluble in methanol, acetone, pyridine, insoluble in water and petroleum ether.

 

So in the cosmetic application of ursolic acid products, in addition to convert ursolic acid into sodium salt to make water-soluble convenient use, the direct use of ursolic acid in cosmetics is one of the more difficult issues.