Biological Activities of Lamiaceae Species: Bio-Guided Isolation of Active Metabolites from Salvia officinalis L.

Abstract

Lamiaceae family includes various medicinal and aromatic plants used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The present study aimed to investigate in vitro the cytotoxic, photoprotective and antioxidant activities of ten Lamiaceae taxa; Melissa officinalis subsp. altissima (Sm.) Arcang., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., Sideritis cypria Post, S. euboea Heldr., S. perfoliata L. subsp. perfoliata, S. scardica Griseb., S. sipylea Boiss., Stachys iva Griseb., and Thymus vulgaris L. The aqueous extract of Salvia officinalis was bio-guided fractionated to obtain the main bioactive metabolites, which were evaluated for the aforementioned effects and their wound-healing potential. In total, five compounds were isolated and identified through NMR spectra, namely salvianic acid A, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid K, luteolin-3′-O-β-D-glucuronide and hispidulin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide. All the compounds were photoprotective and non cytotoxic, while no statistically significant oxidative stress reduction was obtained. Regarding the wound-healing potential, salvianolic acid K was the most promising candidate. Overall, this study suggests photoprotective natural agents from various Lamiaceae species, widely found in Greece, and provides a better insight into Salvia officinalis and its bioactive constituents.

It Runs in the Family: The Importance of the Lamiaceae Family Species

“…The collection provides insights on the plant extracts and natural compound composition and their role in human health by inhibiting scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), stimulating the production of melanin, and absorbing UV radiation. Tsitsigianni et al [6] investigated the biological activities of different extracts/infusions from ten Lamiaceae species with a rich phytochemical profile, exploring the cytotoxic, photoprotective, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties of different compounds. In that study, five compounds were isolated and identified through NMR spectra, namely salvianic acid A, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid K, luteolin-3-O-D-glucuronide, and hispidulin-7-O-D-glucuronide, introducing their photoprotective and non-cytotoxic roles as well as providing a better insight into Salvia officinalis and its bioactive constituents.…”