๐ŸŒฟ Aromatic Plants

ROSEMARY VERBENONE Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.

Key Properties

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๐ŸŒฟ Verbenone chemotype ๐ŸŒฟ Plant โš—๏ธ Part of the plant distilled ๐ŸŒฟ Samples that contain verbenone ๐ŸŒฟ European Pharmacopoeia ranges ๐ŸŒฟ ISO 1342 ๐ŸŒฟ Registers ๐ŸŒฟ Toxicity and adverse effects ๐ŸŒฟ References
Introduction
Rosemary oil, verbenone chemotype

Species

BinomialRosmarinus officinalis
Accepted nameSalvia rosmarinus Spenn.
POWO statussynonym
FamilyLamiaceae
GenusSalvia
IPNI identifierurn:lsid:ipni.org:names:457138-1

Source: Govaerts R. (ed.), World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP), Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, accessed on 21/09/2026.

What is the verbenone chemotype of rosemary oil?

In the hierarchical cluster analysis by Satyal and colleagues (2017), chemotype 2, dominated by verbenone and equated by the authors with the verbenoniferum chemotype, groups eight samples, including the study’s sample from Yemen. The HMPC assessment report on rosemary oil (EMA/HMPC/681037/2021, revision 1, 29/05/2024), in a paragraph that ends with a reference to Chandler (1985), states that the carbon skeleton of the main constituents of the essential oil points to three biogenetic types: the eucalyptol type (Italy, Morocco and Tunisia), the camphor-borneol type (Spain) and the alpha-pinene-verbenone type (France, Corsica).

Which plant is the oil obtained from?

In the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP, Kew), the species-rank name with the status “Accepted”, placed in the family Lamiaceae under identifier 183733, is Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. In the same extract, a species-rank name with the status “Synonym” is attached to the accepted name of identifier 183733: Rosmarinus officinalis L. The EMA page on Rosmarini aetheroleum gives the Latin name “Rosmarini aetheroleum”, the English common name “Rosemary oil” and, as botanical name, Rosmarinus officinalis L. The EU herbal monograph of the HMPC (EMA/HMPC/513893/2021) gives “romarin (huile essentielle de)” as the French name of the substance.

Which part of the plant is distilled, and how?

According to the HMPC assessment report, the European Pharmacopoeia (01/2008: 1846) defines rosemary oil as the essential oil obtained by steam distillation from the aerial parts of the plant (named in the source Rosmarinus officinalis L.), a clear, mobile, colourless or pale-yellow liquid with a characteristic odour.

How do studies classify samples that contain verbenone?

Satyal and colleagues (2017): six samples, two classifications

In the study by Satyal and colleagues (2017), the sample from Yemen consists of rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus officinalis in the article) collected at the flowering stage in May 2013 in Dhamar province; the dried leaves were hydrodistilled for 3 h in a Clevenger-type apparatus according to the European Pharmacopoeia. With its relatively high verbenone content (18.6 %) and relatively low ฮฑ-pinene content (13.5 %), along with 1,8-cineole (20.6 %) and camphor (7.0 %), this sample is placed “firmly” by the authors in the verbenoniferum chemotype, type IIIA, according to Napoli and colleagues. According to the authors, the other five samples of the study have higher concentrations of ฮฑ-pinene than of 1,8-cineole or verbenone and can be characterised, based on Napoli and colleagues, as cineoliferum type VIA. The Alabama sample of the same study, fresh leaves from flowering plants in Huntsville (Alabama) collected on 4 August 2016 and hydrodistilled for 4 h in a Likens-Nickerson apparatus, shows a verbenone content of 17.1 % in the composition table. In all the rosemary oils examined in the study, verbenone was enantiomerically pure, 100 % (+)-verbenone. From their hierarchical cluster analysis, the authors derive five chemotypes: (1) ฮฑ-pinene/1,8-cineole, (2) verbenone/ฮฑ-pinene/camphor/1,8-cineole, (3) myrcene/1,8-cineole/camphor, (4) 1,8-cineole/camphor/ฮฑ-pinene and (5) ฮฑ-pinene/ฮฒ-pinene/camphene.

What do the European Pharmacopoeia ranges give for verbenone?

The EU herbal monograph of the HMPC on rosemary oil (EMA/HMPC/513893/2021, revision 1, 29/05/2024) states that the material complies with the European Pharmacopoeia monograph of reference 01/2008:1846. According to the HMPC assessment report, the table of percentage ranges required for compliance with that monograph has two columns, “Spanish type” and “Moroccan and Tunisian type”. In that table, the range for verbenone is 0.7-2.5 % for the “Spanish type” and “max 0.4%” for the “Moroccan and Tunisian type”. The range for ฮฑ-pinene is 18-26 % for the “Spanish type” and 9.0-14.0 % for the “Moroccan and Tunisian type”. The range for camphor is 13.0-21.0 % for the “Spanish type” and 5.0-15.0 % for the “Moroccan and Tunisian type”. The range for cineole is 16.0-25.0 % for the “Spanish type” and 38.0-55.0 % for the “Moroccan and Tunisian type”. The range for bornyl acetate is 0.5-2.5 % for the “Spanish type” and 0.1-1.5 % for the “Moroccan and Tunisian type”.

What does ISO 1342 cover?

According to the ISO catalogue record (archived copy), ISO 1342:2012 is titled “Essential oil of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)”, was published in 2012-10, is in its 3rd edition and has 11 pages. The same record states that ISO 1342:2012 was last reviewed and confirmed in 2023 and is at stage 90.93, “International Standard confirmed”. Its abstract states that the standard specifies certain characteristics of rosemary essential oil in order to facilitate assessment of its quality.

How are verbenone and rosemary oil identified in registers?

In the ECHA CHEM search results for “verbenone”, the substance 4,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-one (identifier 100.001.176) carries EC number 201-292-4, CAS number 80-57-9 and the formula C10H14O, with “Verbenone” among its listed IUPAC names. The same search returns the entry “Oils, rosemary” (identifier 100.109.428), with EC number 616-767-5 and CAS number 8000-25-7.

What do the EU assessments report on toxicity and adverse effects?

The HMPC assessment report states that rosemary essential oil, with no type or origin stated in the passage, had an LD50 of 5.5 g/kg body weight given intragastrically in rats, and a lethal effect on all animals at an intragastric dose of 0.9 g/100 g body weight (Fahim and colleagues, 1999). The report states that serious poisoning by rosemary or its oil is not reported, and that the potential problems of gastroenteritis and nephritis after ingestion of large amounts of the oil are mentioned in the literature but do not relate to actual cases (Bisset and Wichtl, 1994). The same report states that cases of hypersensitivity (asthma) have been found in the literature, their frequency not being known. The EU herbal monograph lists, as undesirable effects, hypersensitivity (contact dermatitis) among immune system disorders and hypersensitivity (asthma) among respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders, the frequency of each being not known. The monograph states that tests on reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity have not been performed.

References