Abstract: Rosmarinic acid,as a natural water-soluble phenolic acid,is widely distributed in plants of the Labiatae.It is an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl lactate.It possesses numerous pharmacological activities,such as anti-oxidation,anti-bacterial,anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor,and so on.Derivatives of rosmarinic acid are mainly obtained by structural modification of the carboxyl group of the rosmarinic acid side chains.Among them,alkyl rosmarinates with different length alkyl chains have been most extensively studied.The pharmacological studies of alkyl roamarinates have shown that they have anti-cardiovascular disease,anti-oxidation,anti-bacterial,anti-inflammatory,anti-allergic and other activities,and their pharmacological activities and mechanisms vary with the length of the alkyl chains.In this paper,the sources and pharmacological activities of alkyl rosmarinates are reviewed,which provide the theoretical basis for the further development and utilization of rosmarinic acid and alkyl rosmarinates.

Key words: rosmarinic acid, alkyl rosmarinate, anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial