Carnosic acid is an abietane diterpenoid that is abieta-8,11,13-triene substituted by hydroxy groups at positions 11 and 12 and a carboxy group at position 20.
Definition
Carnosic acid is an abietane diterpenoid that is abieta-8,11,13-triene substituted by hydroxy groups at positions 11 and 12 and a carboxy group at position 20. It is isolated from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and common sage (Salvia officinalis) and exhibits anti-angiogenic, antineoplastic, antioxidant and anti-HIV activity. It has a role as an antioxidant, an antineoplastic agent, a HIV protease inhibitor, an angiogenesis modulating agent, a food preservative, an anti-inflammatory agent, an apoptosis inducer and a plant metabolite. It is a monocarboxylic acid, a member of catechols, an abietane diterpenoid and a carbotricyclic compound. It is a conjugate acid of a carnosate.
Source: PubChem
US FDA substance register · UNII LI791SXT24 · registered name CARNOSIC ACID · single chemical substance
Cosmetic roles
Safety & regulatory references
Other restriction: ban substances that deplete the ozone layer
Source: EU CosIng ingredient list
More data — names, identifiers, properties, test records, literature
Official labels & definitions
JCIA labelling name カルノシン酸: 本品は、次の化学式で表される環式化合物である。
Source: JCIA labelling names (Japan)
Names & identifiers
- CAS No.chemical registry number
- 3650-09-7
- DTXSIDUS EPA chemical ID
- DTXSID20904450
- DTXCIDUS EPA compound ID
- DTXCID601333604
- IUPAC
- 11,12-Dihydroxyabieta-8,11,13-trien-20-oic acid
- Molecular formula
- C20H28O4
- Molecular weight
- 332.44 g/mol
What products actually use it for
What the 1 products reported to the US EPA with this ingredient use it for. Products outside cosmetics are included, so the top few rows are its main uses.
- Antioxidant1
Source: US EPA CompTox dashboard
Related literature
- Inhibitory Effects of Carnosic Acid on Melanin Synthesis · 2022
- rehalose and carnosic acid induced LC3I, LC3II ratio, P62 down-regulation and cleaved caspase 3 expression in neural stem cells. · 2022
- Therapeutic Potential of Carnosic Acid in Alopecia: A Mechanistic Perspective · 2025
- Naturally-occurring carnosic acid as a promising therapeutic agent for skin inflammation via targeting STAT1. · 2025
- The cumulative effect of ellagic acid and carnosic acid attenuates oxidative events during diabetic wound healing: in different applications and on different days · 2024
Linked databases 16
- ChEBI
- ChEMBL
- China inventory of existing ingredients (IECIC)
- EU CosIng ingredient list 2
- JCIA labelling names (Japan)
- Korea Cosmetic Association ingredient dictionary
- MFDS (Korea) cosmetic ingredient register 2
- PubChem
- Tlooto literature search 2 3 4 5
- UniChem cross-reference IDs
- US EPA CompTox dashboard 2
- US EPA DSSTox chemical database
- US FDA substance registration (GSRS)
- US FDA Unique Ingredient Identifier (UNII)
- Wikidata
- Wikipedia · English · Japanese · Chinese