| Rank | Pathway / Axis | Cancer Cells | Normal Cells | Label | Primary Interpretation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reactive oxygen species (ROS) | ↓ ROS (dominant antioxidant effect) | ↓ ROS | Driver | Antioxidant / redox buffering | Rosmarinic acid is a strong phenolic antioxidant; cancer effects are largely redox-modulatory rather than cytotoxic |
| 2 | NF-κB signaling | ↓ NF-κB activation | ↓ inflammatory NF-κB tone | Secondary | Suppression of inflammatory survival signaling | NF-κB inhibition explains anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and chemopreventive effects |
| 3 | MAPK signaling (ERK / JNK / p38) | ↓ ERK; ↑ JNK/p38 (context-dependent) | ↔ minimal | Secondary | Stress-modulated signaling | MAPK modulation reflects redox-sensitive signaling rather than direct kinase inhibition |
| 4 | Cell cycle regulation | ↑ G0/G1 arrest (mild) | ↔ spared | Phenotypic | Cytostatic growth control | Growth inhibition is modest and non-cytotoxic in most models |
| 5 | Apoptosis | ↑ apoptosis (weak / context-dependent) | ↓ apoptosis | Phenotypic | Threshold-dependent cell death | Apoptosis is not a dominant mechanism and usually requires high doses or co-stress |
| 6 | NRF2 antioxidant response | ↑ NRF2 (adaptive) | ↑ NRF2 (protective) | Adaptive | Antioxidant gene induction | NRF2 activation reflects reinforcement of antioxidant capacity |