Determination of phenolic diterpene antioxidants in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) with different methods of extraction and analysis

The extraction from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) of the phenolic diterpene antioxidants (PDAs), carnosic acid and carnosol, by sonication or Soxhlet extraction with acetone (with or without active charcoal bleaching) are compared with fractionated SFE extraction obtained by varying the dissolving power of supercritical carbon dioxide through the addition of methanol. For the further analysis of the PDAs, the results obtained by reversed-phase HPLC linked to a UV detector are compared with those produced when an evaporative light scattering detector or a particle beam interface linked to an MS were employed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.