SONJA DULETIC-LAUŠEVIC¹, ANA ALIMPIC¹*, DANICA PAVLOVIC², PETAR D. MARIN¹, DMITAR LAKUŠIC¹

*Corresponding author

1. Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden “Jevremovac”, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Takovska 43, Belgrade, Serbia

2. Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

Salvia officinalis L. plants originated from continental (Mt. Pleš, Serbia) and Mediterranean part of Central Balkans (Luštica peninsula, Montenegro) grew under the same conditions in Belgrade. Various extracts of plant material, collected during summer and winter season, were analyzed for the antioxidant activity and phenolic and flavonoid contents. DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP assays for antioxidant activity, as well as total phenol and flavonoid content, were measured spectrophotometrically. Phenolic and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of the extracts mostly depended on extraction solvent and harvesting season. The extracts of plants originated from Serbia showed stronger antioxidant activity. Generally, plants collected in summer season performed higher activity. Among tested extracts, ethanol extract showed better antioxidant activities compared to other analyzed extracts.

INTRODUCTION

Salvia (sage), one of the largest and the most important aromatic and medicinal genera of the Lamiaceae family, comprises about 1000 worldwide distributed species (1). Salvia species are reported to have antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, cytotoxic, neuroprotective, antiinflammatory and other biological activities (2-8). Salvia officinalis, known as Dalmatian sage, common sage or garden sage,is a perennial subshrub native to the northern coastal region of the Mediterranean, but widely cultivated in many countries (9) due to its culinary and medicinal significance. It is used for food preservation, as a spice for flavouring, and for treatment of many diseases (2).
Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are well known inducers of cellular and tissue pathogenesis leading to several human diseases such as cancer, inflammatory disorders, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases (10). S. officinalis is proven to be biologically active, and promising as antioxidant agent of natural origin (5, 11-18).
The aim of this study was to determine and compare the antioxidant ...