Bioavailability of the antioxidative Rosmarinus officinalis compound carnosic acid in eggs

Rosemary is one of the herb spices and it exhibits antioxidative activity. The phenolic diterpene carnosic acid is mainly responsible for these antiox idant effects in rosemary and rosemary extracts. A modified high-performanc e liquid chromatography method for the determination of carnosic acid in ro semary extract was established. The analysis can be accomplished under isoc ratic conditions using electrochemical detection. The effect of dietary ros emary extract on the bioavailability of the antioxidative compound carnosic acid in eggs was evaluated. Using this method carnosic acid could be detec ted in 20 ng/g of egg yolk. Results showed that carnosic acid is bioavailab le in egg yolk but not in albumen.