The Different Phytochemical Profiles of Salvia officinalis Dietary Supplements Labelled for Menopause Symptoms

Abstract

Phytochemical screening of four commercial products containing Salvia officinalis was carried out. Total phenolic content was estimated spectrophotometrically through the use of the Folin-Ciocalteau method, flavonoid content was measured through the use of aluminum chloride and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine colorimetric assays, and isoflavones and α/β-thujones were analyzed through the use of high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and the gas chromatographic method. The analyses revealed the absence of thujones and isoflavones (i.e., genistin, genistein, and daidzein) in all four different extracts. The content of polyphenolic compounds varied among the samples, with the extract T being richer in both polyphenols and flavonoids than the other products by 1.8-3.2 and 1.4-4.0 times, respectively (p-value < 0.05). These results highlight the importance of quality control in salvia-based products since a thujone-free extract rich in polyphenols and flavonoids could be a good candidate for further preclinical and clinical studies to identify an effective herbal approach suitable for the long-term therapy of menopausal symptoms.

Keywords: S. officinalis; extracts; flavonoid; phytotherapy; polyphenols; thujones.

Figure 1

Comparison of total polyphenol and total flavonoid concentrations in four different S. officinalis extracts. Products: SALVITILAB^® (T), ACEF (A), Fontana (F), and Menosan^® (M). GA, gallic acid; Q, quercetin, N, naringenin.

Figure 2

HPLC chromatogram of the S. officinalis extract of the SALVITILAB^® sample (A) and the isoflavones of soybean and red clover extract (B).

Figure 3

Representative GC chromatogram of the S. officinalis extracts SALVITILAB^® (A) and the control fresh sage (B) and standards (C) showing the peaks and retention time (Rt) of α-thujone (Rt: 13.49 min), β-thujone (Rt: 13.70 min), and the internal standard (IS) ethyl decanoate (Rt: 20.10 min).