Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oils of three Salvia species from South Khorasan: Salvia macrosiphon Boiss., Salvia spinosa L., and Salvia sharifii Rech. f. & Esfand.

Abstract

Salvia is an important genus in the Lamiaceae family known for its diverse secondary metabolites and pharmacological effects. This study investigated the composition, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of essential oils from three Salvia species: Salvia spinosa, S. macrosiphon, and S. sharifii. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was used to identify the oil composition. The essential oils of S. spinosa contained a high number of monoterpenes, with α-terpinolene as the key component. S. macrosiphon had a similar composition to S. spinosa, with linalool as the main constituent. S. sharifii oil was characterized by sesquiterpenes, with higher amounts of linalool. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH test, and the antimicrobial activity was tested using the broth microdilution technique. S. macrosiphon exhibited the highest antimicrobial and antioxidant activities among the three species, attributed to its high concentration of monoterpenes and phenolic compounds. S. spinosa also showed significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activities due to its high content of α-terpinolene. These findings highlight the potential of Salvia species as natural sources of antimicrobial and antioxidant agents, with further research needed to explore their therapeutic applications.

Keywords:

• Antioxidant
• Antimicrobial
• Salvia spinosa
• Salvia macrosiphon
• Salvia sharifii