Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of the Essential Oils of Salvia palaestina (Bentham) and S. ceratophylla (L.)

This study is designed to examine the chemical composition and in-vitro antioxidant activity of the essential oils of Salvia palaestina (Bentham) and S. ceratophylla (L.). GC-EIMS analyses of the essential oils were resulted in the determination 70 and 53 different compounds, representing 92.50% and 95.80% of the total oils, respectively. In S. palaestina oil, the major compounds were caryophyllene oxide (16.1%) and (E)-caryophyllene (4.5%). In S. ceratophylla oil, gamma-muurolene (11.4%) and alpha-pinene (7.6%) were the major compounds. Antioxidant activities of the samples were determined by four different test systems namely beta-carotene/linoleic acid, DPPH, reducing power and chelating effect. In all systems, S. palaestina oil showed greater activity profile than that of S. ceratophylla. None of the essential oils showed metal chelating effect.