Original Articles
Vol. 4 (2026)
Rosemary extract improves neuropsychiatric symptoms in methadone-maintained patients
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 19 March 2026
68
Views
24
Downloads
Authors
Recent studies have demonstrated the neuropharmacological effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) on cognitive and psychiatric functioning. Given the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders—including anxiety and depression—as well as cognitive deficits among patients maintained on methadone, this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rosemary extract in alleviating neuropsychological symptoms in this population. A total of 47 patients aged 18-60 years attending an addiction treatment clinic were randomly assigned to receive either 500 mg rosemary extract capsules or a placebo daily for 8 weeks. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess outcomes, including anxiety, depression, sexual dysfunction, sleep quality, and cognitive performance. Data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism version 10.3.1. Results indicated that rosemary extract administration led to significant improvements in anxiety symptoms, and favorable effects were observed in depression scores, cognitive functioning, and sleep quality compared to placebo. These findings suggest that rosemary extract may be a beneficial adjunctive therapy for neuropsychiatric symptoms in methadone-maintained patients, warranting further investigation in larger samples and longer-term studies.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Citations
After M, Ullah F, Javed F, et al. Mechanism of narcotic addictions and its treatment by medicinal plants: a detailed review. Life Sci 2025;6:122-32.
Konrath EL, Arbo MD, Arbo BD, et al. Plants with anti-addictive potential. In: Barreto GE, Sahebkar A, eds. Pharmacological properties of plant-derived natural products and implications for human health. Cham, Switzerland: Springer; 2021.
Khalatbari-Mohseni A, Banafshe HR, Mirhosseini N, et al. The effects of crocin on psychological parameters in patients under methadone maintenance treatment: a randomized clinical trial. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2019;14:9.
Rajabizadeh G, Yazdanpanah F, Ramezani MA. The evaluation of relationship between sexual self-concept and sexual dysfunction in individuals undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. Addict Health 2017;9:88-95.
Lagzi N, Bateni A, Goli R, Talebiazar N. The effect of multivitamins on anxiety and depression in patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Int J Psychiatry Med 2023;58:576-90.
Dabaghzadeh F, Mehrabani M, Abdollahi H, Karami-Mohajeri S. Antioxidant and anticholinesterase effects of rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) extract: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Adv Integr Med 2022;9:69-74.
Vafadar Moradi E, Rezvani Kakhki B, Yazdanpanah Z, et al. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and nervous system disorders: new findings on its neuroprotective properties. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2026;29:155-80.
Nematollahi MH, Ahmadianmoghadam MA, Mehrabani M, et al. Herbal therapy in opioid withdrawal syndrome: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Addict Health 2022;14:152-63.
Solhi H, Salehi B, Alimoradian A, et al. Beneficial effects of Rosmarinus officinalis for treatment of opium withdrawal syndrome during addiction treatment programs: a clinical trial. Addict Health 2013;5:90-4.
Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar M, Hosseinzadeh H. Therapeutic effects of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) and its active constituents on nervous system disorders. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2020;23:1100-12.
Ward J, Rosenbaum C, Hernon C, et al. Herbal medicines for the management of opioid addiction. CNS Drugs 2011;25:999-1007.
Morde A, Acharya M, Tahilani P, Banweer J. Rosmarinic acid–a potential therapeutic agent for sleep disorders. Int J Pharm Sci 2023;3:1-6.
Zhang L, Lu J. Combating depression with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)-derived polyphenols: major phytochemicals, functional properties, and potential. Fitoterapia 2025;175:106563.
Kantar D, Acun AD, Er H. Evaluate the effects of rosmarinic acid in ovariectomized rats: urethane-induced cortical oscillations. Turk J Hyg Exp Biol 2022;79:632-45.
Kamli MR, Sharaf AAM, Sabir JSM, Rather IA. Phytochemical screening of Rosmarinus officinalis L. as a potential anticholinesterase and antioxidant-medicinal plant for cognitive decline disorders. Plants 2022;11:514.
Zhao J, Li Z, Zhang R, et al. Network pharmacology mechanism of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Rosemary) to improve cell viability and reduces apoptosis in treating Alzheimer’s disease. BMC Complement Med Ther 2025;25:94.
Malik N, Amber S, Zahid S. Rosmarinus officinalis and methylphenidate exposure improves cognition and depression and regulates anxiety-like behavior in AlCl3-induced mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Pharmacol 2022;13:943163.
Ghasemzadeh Rahbardar M, Hosseinzadeh H. Therapeutic potential of hypnotic herbal medicines: A comprehensive review. Phytother Res 2024;38:3037-59.
Alvarado-García PAA, Soto-Vásquez MR, Rosales-Cerquin LE, et al. Effect of Rosmarinus Officinalis essential oil on anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. Pharmacogn J 2023;15:343-9.
Montazeri A, Vahdaninia M, Ebrahimi M, Jarvandi S. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): translation and validation study of the Iranian version. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2003;1:14.
Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF 3rd, Monk TH, et al. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res 1989;28:193-213.
Hasanzadeh M, Alavi Kariminejad Najmabadi K, Ghalehbandi MF, et al. Sleep quality in Iranian drivers recognized as responsible for severe road accidents. J Res Behav Sci 2008;6:97-107.
Nasreddine ZS, Phillips NA, Bédirian V, et al. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA: a brief screening tool for mild cognitive impairment. J Am Geriatr Soc 2005;53:695-99.
Mazhari S, Parvaresh N, Eslami Shahrbabaki M, et al. Validation of the Persian version of the brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014;68:160-6.
Keller A, McGarvey EL, Clayton AH. Reliability and construct validity of the Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire short-form (CSFQ-14). J Sex Marital Ther 2006;32:43-52.
Babazadeh S, Habibi M, Gohari-Derakhshande N. Study of psychometric properties of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) in substance dependent men. J Appl Psychol 2020;14:457-65.
Noori Ahmad Abadi M, Mortazavi M, Kalani N, et al. Effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Rosmarinus officinalis L. leaf on anxiety in mice. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med 2016;21:NP85-90.
Pengelly A, Snow J, Mills SY, et al. Short-term study on the effects of rosemary on cognitive function in an elderly population. J Med Food 2012;15:10-7.
Nusier MK, Bataineh HN, Daradkah HM. Adverse effects of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) on reproductive function in adult male rats. Exp Biol Med 2007;232:809-13.
Heidari-Vala H, Ebrahimi Hariry R, Sadeghi MR, et al. Evaluation of an aqueous-ethanolic extract from Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) for its activity on the hormonal and cellular function of testes in adult male rat. Iran J Pharm Res 2013;12:445-51.
Lv MG, Chen WQ, Weng SQ, et al. Rosmarinic acid compromises human sperm functions by an intracellular Ca2+ concentration-related mechanism. Reprod Toxicol 2018;81:58-63.
Hosseinzadeh H, Nourbakhsh M. Effect of Rosmarinus officinalis L. aerial parts extract on morphine withdrawal syndrome in mice. Phytother Res 2003;17:938-41.
Nematolahi P, Mehrabani M, Karami-Mohajeri S, Dabaghzadeh F. Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. on memory performance, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in university students: A randomized clinical trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract 2018;30:24-8.
How to Cite
1.
Rosemary extract improves neuropsychiatric symptoms in methadone-maintained patients. Mental Wellness [Internet]. 2026 Mar. 19 [cited 2026 Apr. 16];4. Available from: https://www.mental-wellness-journal.net/mw/article/view/36
Copyright (c) 2026 the Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
