Effects of a water-soluble extract of rosemary and its purified component rosmarinic acid on xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in rat liver

The effects of a water-soluble extract (WSE) of rosemary and its purified antioxidant rosmarinic acid (RA) on xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (XME) were studied in rat liver after dietary administration. The modulation of phase I enzymes such as cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A, 2B, 2E1, 3A, and phase II enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST), quinone reductase (QR) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) was evaluated by measuring enzyme activities with specific substrates. Protein levels of CYPs and rGST A1/A2, A3/A5, M1, M2 and P1 were measured using antibodies in Western blots. Caffeic acid was also studied because it results from RA biotransformation in rat after oral administration. Ma…