In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Properties of Essential Oils and Methanolic Extracts of Four Species of Salvia L.

Today, due to increased use of chemical drugs and spread of microbial resistance to antibiotics as well as the side effects of drug consumption, the identification and introduction of plant species with medicinal and antimicrobial properties have widely been regarded important. Different species of salvia L. have been used in traditional and modern medicine for therapeutic purposes. In the current study, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils and methanolic extracts of aerial parts of four species of Salvia contains S. syriaca L. and S. ceratophylla L and two populations of S. reuterana Boiss., and two populations of S. limbata C.A. Mey. from Kashan region, were investigated.

An experimental research was conducted in in vitro conditions. Methanolic extract of samples was prepared using soxhlet apparatus. The essential oils were extracted using hydrodistillation using Clevenger method. Antimicrobial activity of this species was investigated using the Agar well diffusion technique and MIC and MBC tests.

The essential oils and methanolic extracts of these sample plants showed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis in 30 mg/ml. In addition, extract of S. reuterana and essential oil of S. limbata from Dorreh inhibit the growth of Candida albicans.

It seems that considering the antimicrobial properties of some of the extracts and essential oils observed in the current study, they can be used as substitutions for the current antibiotics after more extensive graduate studies are performed.