Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oil of Salvia officinalis L. and Salvia virgata Jacq

Abstract

<strong>Background & Aim:</strong>The genus <em>Salvia </em>(commonly known as sage) is a broad genus belonging to the family Lamiaceae. This study is aimed at assessing the essential oil composition and antimicrobial activities of two Salvia species.<br /> <strong>Experimental</strong><strong>: </strong>The chemical composition of the essential oils of <em>Salvia officinalis </em>L. and <em>Salvia</em><strong> <em>virgata</em> Jacq, </strong>cultivated in Estahban (Fars, South Iran), was studied by means of GC-MSanalyses. Antimicrobial activity was tested against a panel of microorganisms including one Gram-positive (<em>Staphylococcus epidermidis </em>PTCC NO. 1435) and one Gram-negative (<em>Escherichia coli</em>) and three fungal strain (<em>Alternaria alternata </em>PTCC NO. 5224, <em>Penicillium funiculosum </em>PTCC NO. 5301 and <em>P. funiculosum </em>PTCC NO. 5169) using the disk diffusion and agar-well diffusion methods and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) technique.<br /> <strong>Results:</strong> In all, 57 compounds were identified, 42 for <em>S. officinalis</em>, accounting for 98.94% ofthe total oil, 29 for <strong><em>S.</em> <em>virgata</em></strong> (98.81%). The major components of <em>S. officinalis</em> essential oil were α-thujone (37.18%), 1,8-cineole (12.71%), β-thujone (9.10%) and the major components of <strong><em>S.</em> <em>virgata</em></strong> essential oil were caryophyllene oxide (30.23%), β-caryophyllene (22.63%), sabinene (11.82%). The antimicrobial activity of the total essential oil evaluated by the agar-well diffusion method, the results showed that the highest active against<em> S. epidermidis </em>and also the least active against <em>E. coli.</em> Inhibition of growth was tested by the disk diffusion method, the results showed that essential oil of <em>S. officinalis </em>and<em> S. virgata</em> were highest active against <em>E. coli </em>and<em> P. funiculosum </em>(PTCC NO. 5301), respectively. Also the least active against <em>A. alternata.</em><br /> <strong>Recommended applications/industries:</strong> The results showed that<em>S. </em><em>officinalis</em> oil had higher antimicrobial activity compare to <em>S. virgata</em>