Isolation of Rosmarinic Acid From Rosemary Extract Utilizing a Molecularly Imprinted Polymer

Abstract

Molecularly imprinted polymers are polymeric materials engineered with specific templates capable of recognizing molecules selectively. Rosmarinic acid, an ester formed from caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid and commonly occurring in plants, exhibits a broad spectrum of bioactive properties, including antioxidant, antiviral, analgesic, antibacterial, antimutagenic, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. It is prominently present in rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extracts, where it acts as the primary phenolic compound responsible for antioxidant activity. Advancements in the refining techniques for recovering and purifying rosmarinic acid from rosemary extracts have driven progress in molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction methods. Remarkably, the molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction approach utilizing the 1:4:16 caffeic acid-imprinted polymer exhibited outstanding selectivity for rosmarinic acid in authentic rosemary samples, achieving a purity level of 84% ± 2.96%. This research marks a significant advancement in the literature, being the first to demonstrate the effective purification of rosmarinic acid using caffeic acid-imprinted polymers. These findings underscore the efficacy of the MIPs in accurately capturing rosmarinic acid, illuminating their potential applications in pharmaceutical and analytical settings where precise molecule recognition and extraction methodologies are crucial. This innovative approach not only enhances the extraction process but also opens new avenues for the application of MIPs in various fields, including food chemistry and natural product research. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.