4. Conclusions
This study was carried out to compare different processes for extraction of rosmarinic, carnosic and ursolic acids from rosemary leaves. The main conclusion is that selective extraction of rosmarinic and carnosic acids can be achieved by modification of the extraction technique and procedure. The use of intensified extraction processes at different extraction temperatures enabled to achieve similar yields compared to conventional extraction processes (heat reflux extraction and maceration). It has been demonstrated that carnosic and ursolic acids extraction is enhanced using ultrasound processes whereas microwave are more adapted to extract rosmarinic acid. Moreover, this study revealed that ultrasound and microwave technologies are good alternatives to conventional processes regarding energy consumption and carbon emissions at laboratory scale. Further research are required to investigate the choice of the most appropriate technology for scale up and industrialization [39].