Antiinflammatory and ulcerogenic activities of Salvia triloba extracts

Influence of Climate-Related Environmental Stresses on Economically Important Essential Oils of Mediterranean Salvia sp

Salvia L. is the largest genus in the family Lamiaceae, with about 1,000 species and a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Salvia species are used in both traditional and conventional medicines, and other numerous industries, such as spices and perfumes. The number of papers dealing with Salvia exceeds 12,000 and mostly investigates their chemical composition and bioactive properties. A smaller proportion of papers however consider environmental factors, mostly on the effects of microclimate conditions on its geographic distribution along an altitudinal or longitudinal gradient, and very few studies can be found on the effects of emerging stressors on the commercial production of sages of medicinal and economical importance. Here, we summarize available data on the essential oil composition of three economically important sages from the Mediterranean area, that is, Salvia officinalis, Salvia officinalis subsp. lavandulifolia, and Salvia fruticosa, and the effects of climate-related environmental stressors on their chemical profiles. Environmental stress factors, such as an increase in soil salinity and aridity, and changes in annual average temperatures, are going to impose a serious risk on the commercial production of sage essential oils, which are commercially produced in many European countries. This review highlights the already confirmed effects of these stressors on three selected Salvia species and consequently the importance of mitigating the effects of climate change on the commercial production of these essential oils.

Middle East Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Diabetes: A Review

Diabetes is a global health problem, and the number of diabetic patients is in continuous rise. Conventional antidiabetic therapies are associated with high costs and limited efficiency. The use of traditional medicine and plant extracts to treat diabetes is gaining high popularity in many countries. Countries in the Middle East region have a long history of using herbal medicine to treat different diseases, including diabetes. In this review, we compiled and summarized all the in vivo and in vitro studies conducted for plants with potential antidiabetic activity in the Middle East region. Plants of the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are the most investigated. It is hoped that this review will contribute scientifically to evidence the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants as antidiabetic agents. Work has to be done to define tagetes, mechanism of action and the compound responsible for activity. In addition, safety and pharmacokinetic parameters should be investigated.

Aqueous extraction kinetics of soluble solids, phenolics and flavonoids from sage (Salvia fruticosa Miller) leaves

In the present study, aqueous extraction kinetics of total soluble solids (TSS), total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) from Salvia fruticosa leaves were investigated throughout 150 min. of extraction period against temperature (60-80 °C), particle size (2-8 mm) and loading percentage (1-4 %). The extract yielded 25 g/100 g TSS which contained 30 g/100 g TPC and 25 g/100 g TFC. The extraction data in time course fit with reversible first order kinetic model. All tested variables showed significant effect on the estimated kinetic parameters except equilibrium concentration. Increasing the extraction temperature resulted high extraction rate constants and equilibrium concentrations of the tested variables notably above 70 °C. By using the Arrhenius relationship, activation energy of the TSS, TPC and TFC were determined as 46.11 ± 5.61, 36.80 ± 3.12 and 33.52 ± 2.23 kj/mol, respectively. By decreasing the particle size, the extraction rate constants and diffusion coefficients exponentially increased whereas equilibrium concentrations did not change significantly. The equilibrium concentrations of the tested parameters showed linear behavior with increasing the loading percentage of the sage, however; the change in extraction rates did not show linear behavior due to submerging effect of 4 % loading.

Chemical composition and biological activity of extracts from Salvia bicolor Desf. growing in Egypt

A petroleum ether extract (PEE) and a methanolic extract (ME) of aerial parts of Salvia bicolor Desf were prepared, and their chemical compositions and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antimicrobial activities were evaluated. GC/MS analysis of the PEE revealed the presence of 20 compounds in the unsaponifiable matter, among which β-sitosterol and β-amyrin (constituting 24.75% and 15.62%, respectively) were the main constituents, and 21 fatty acids, with linolenic acid and erucic acid being the main fatty acid constituents (21.65% and 16.65%, respectively). HPLC/MS analysis of the methanol extract for individual phenolics revealed the presence of 14 phenolic acids; protocatchuic acid was predominant (75.22 mg/g dry sample), followed by p-coumaric, gallic and synergic acids (70.27, 68.26 and 54.38 mg/g dry weight, respectively). HPLC/MS analysis of flavonoid contents revealed the presence of five flavonoid compounds, among which luteolin 7-O-glucoside and apigenin were the major constituents (120.25 mg/100 g dry sample and 88.48 mg/100g dry sample, respectively). The antioxidant activities of both extracts were evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and the total antioxidant capacity was determined in terms of GAE (gallic acid equivalents). Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities were evaluated using the rat paw edema and hot plate testing methods, respectively. The antimicrobial activities of both the PEE and ME were examined by means of the disk-diffusion method. The Salvia bicolor PEE and ME exhibited significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, in addition to antimicrobial effects against the selected microorganisms.