Principal Antioxidative Flavonoids from Rosmarinus officinalis Grown in the Hills of Central Himalaya

Rosmarinus officinalis, an antioxidative polyphenolics producing plant, is characterized for the presence of some prominent ortho-dihydroxyl bearing antioxidant flavonoids. Rosmarinus officinalis grown in the hills of Central Himalaya is being chemically investigated for first time. The aqueous-ethanolic extract of the plant was fractionated with CH₂Cl₂ and n-BuOH. Cellulose CC fraction of each partition gave a fluorescent bands and each was eluted and collected separately under UV light and anti oxidant activity of each fraction was determined against DPPH free radical at 518 nm. The flavonoids from prominent antioxidative fractions were characterized by UV, ¹HNMR and MS studies. Two antioxidative flavonoids, luteolin-5-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and hispidulin-7-O-(6”-O-caffeoyl)glucopyranoside were characterized from the plant first time.