Salvia officinalis L. Essential Oil: Characterization, Antioxidant Properties, and the Effects of Aromatherapy in Adult Patients

• Published in: Antioxidants Vol. 11; no. 5; p. 808
• Main Authors: Mot, Maria-Daniela, Gavrilaș, Simona, Lupitu, Andreea I, Moisa, Cristian, Chambre, Dorina, Tit, Delia Mirela, Bogdan, Mihaela Alexandra, Bodescu, Adina-Maria, Copolovici, Lucian, Copolovici, Dana Maria, Bungau, Simona Gabriela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 21-04-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Analgesics; antioxidant activity; Antioxidants; Anxiety; Aromatherapy; Biochemical characteristics; Borneol; Camphor; chemical analysis; Chemical composition; Chromatography; Cineole; essential oil; Essential oils; Gas chromatography; Inhalation; Mass spectroscopy; Migraine; Nausea; Oils & fats; Patients; Salvia officinalis; Skin; Spectrum analysis; Thujone; Japan; Germany; Romania; inhalation; essential oil; aromatherapy; antioxidant activity; Salvia officinalis; chemical analysis
• ISSN: 2076-3921; 2076-3921
• DOI: 10.3390/antiox11050808

The purpose of this study is to reveal the chemical and biochemical characteristics and the potential aromatherapy applications of the essential oil (EO) of Salvia officinalis (common sage) within a hospital environment. The chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Three types of sage EOs were included in this study: two commercial oils and one oil obtained by in-house hydrodistillation. Based on the findings, these EOs were included in different chemotypes. The first two samples were similar to the most common chemotype (α-thujone > camphor > 1,8-cineole > β-thujone), while the in-house sage EO revealed a high content of 1,8-cineole, borneol, α-thujone, similar to the Dalmatian type. The latter sample was selected to be evaluated for its antioxidant and medical effects, as borneol, a bicyclic monoterpene, is known as a substance with anesthetic and analgesic effects in traditional Asian medicine. The study suggests that the antioxidant capacity of the sage EO is modest (33.61% and 84.50% inhibition was determined by DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively), but also that the inhalation of sage EO with high borneol content by hospitalized patients could improve these patients’ satisfaction.