Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2003; 8: 152
Salvia officinalis (sage) is a member of the Labiatae family. The herb is one of the oldest known medicinal plants still used today and, historically, has the reputation as being a cure-all-ailments remedy. Sage, like many herbs, contains a vast array of constituents with various activities. The four major biologically active groups of constituents present in sage are flavanoids, phenolic acids, volatile oils and tannins. The main objective of this work was to identify the major constituents present in the Bioforce S. officinalis fresh herb tincture and, equally, to develop rapid methods of analysis for each of these identified marker components.
Phytochemical investigation was carried out using three methods of analysis; thin layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC).
Thin-layer chromatography analysis allowed the confirmation of the volatile oils present within the Bioforce product (specifically borneol, bornylacetate and cineol). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis methods were developed which allowed the identification of specific phenolic compounds and volatile oil components, in comparison with known standards. It is hoped that GC analysis will be used to confirm the identification of volatile oils present within the tincture (results to be presented).
The analysis methods used in this phytochemical work allow the identification of specific components within the Bioforce S. officinalis tincture, subsequently allowing standards to be established. This in turn maintains continuity between batches and, importantly, uniformity of the tincture for future clinical trials.
