Pharmacological activities and applications of Salvia sclarea and Salvia desoleana essential oils

Pharmacological properties of S. sclarea and S. desoleana oils are discussed in relation to their chemical composition. After systemic administration, these oils had a depressant action on the CNS in mice and a hydrocholeretic effect in rats. Otherstudies demonstrated also a good anti-inflammatory activity in rats as well as a peripheral analgesic action in mice. These essential oils possess invitro antimicrobial properties against some humanpathogen strains and their activity is comparable to S. officinalis oil, well known for its antiseptic properties. In vitro studies carried out on mucoadhesive preparations showed the ability of the oil components to permeate the oral mucous. This could be of interest in the treatment of humaninflammatory diseases of mucous tissues, frequently associated with microbial infections. These oils are also able to inhibit the growth of some phytopathogenic fungi and could therefore be useful in the agronomic field as an alternative to synthetic compounds, with a view to reducing environmental pollution. Some biological effects were correlated with the chemical composition and the kind of the formulations utilized in order to examine some possible applications of these oils in human medicine. All pharmacological activities seem to be attributable to the content of some oxygenated compounds, like alcohols (mainly linalool and alpha-terpineol) and esters (linalyl and alpha-terpinyl acetate). Experimental observations point the hypothesis of a synergic action between the different components, even if the oils in toto were more active than their fractions or single components. © 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.