Antiplatelet activity of carnosic acid, a phenolic diterpene from Rosmarinus officinalis

Carnosic acid is a major phenolic diterpene derived from Rosmarinus officinalis and has been reported to have antioxidant, antibacterial, anticancer, antiobese and photoprotective activities. This study investigated the antiplatelet activity of carnosic acid. Carnosic acid significantly inhibited collagen-, arachidonic acid-, U46619- and thrombin-induced washed rabbit platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner, with IC50 values of 39 +/- 0.3, 34 +/- 1.8, 29 +/- 0.8 and 48 +/- 2.9 mu M, respectively, while it failed to inhibit PMA- (a direct PKC activator) and ADP-induced platelet aggregation. In agreement with its antiplatelet activity, carnosic acid blocked collagen-, arachidonic acid-, U46619- and thrombin-mediated cytosolic calcium mobilization. Accordingly, serotonin secretion and arachidonic acid liberation were also inhibited in a similar concentration-dependent manner. However, in contrast to the inhibition of arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation, carnosic acid had no effect on the formation of arachidonic acid-mediated thromboxane A(2) and prostaglandin D-2, thus indicating that carnosic acid has no effect on the cyclooxygenase and thromboxane A(2) synthase activity. Overall, these results suggest that the antiplatelet activity of carnosic acid is mediated by the inhibition of cytosolic calcium mobilization and that carnosic acid has the potential of being developed as a novel antiplatelet agent.