Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil from Stems of Salvia indica L. Obtained by Steam Distillation

The genus Salvia, including some Iranian species, has been studied chemically and the presence has been reported of terpenoids, even the rare sesterterpenes, essential oils and flavonoids. Fifty-eight species of Salvia are found in Iran, 17 of which are endemic [1]. Some species of the genus Salvia are used as medicinal, aromatic and ornamental plants. Tanshen, the rhizome of S. miltiorrhiza Bunge.has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for multiple therapeutic remedies. Tanshen has been used primarily for the treatment of coronary heart disease, particularly angina pectoris and myocardial infraction, it has also been included for the treatment of hemorrhage, dysmenorrhea, miscarriage, swelling and insomnia [2].The stems of S.indica growing wild in Lorestan province, in Joly 2015.The oil obtained by steam distillation and analyzed by GC and GC/MS.Thirty-six components representing 83.7% of steam distillation oil from stem of S.indica were identified. The main compounds of the oil were spathulenol (28.7%), and -caryophyllene (13.8%).Other notable constituents were caryophyllene oxide(8.9%),bicyclogermacrene(7.3%),sclareoloxide(6.9%) and isopathulenol (5.5%).The oil of the plant was characterized by high amounts of sesquiterpenes(72.2%).The monoterpenes and diterpene fractions were relatively small, representing(0.2% and 9.6%, respectively) of the total oil. -Caryophyllene(38.4%),followed by germacrene D(11.4%), spathulenol (10.5%) and α-humulene(8.7%) were the main constituents among the 16 characterized, comprising 87.6% of the total,detectedin the oil of S.palaestina Benth.In this oil, sesquiterpenes(74.2%) predominated over monoterpenes(12.9%)[3].