Chemical composition and biological activities of the essential oils of Salvia canariensis

Comparative studies of the chemical composition of steam-distilled essential oils from cultivated Salvia canariensis, collected at different seasons of the year, were studied. The essential oils were analysed by gas chomatography-mass spectrometry: the major components were bornyl acetate (17.8-28.6%), beta-caryophyllene (12.7-30.2%), a-pinene (4.6-9.5%) and viridiflorol (13.9-17.3%) in all samples. The essential oils were evaluated for antimicrobial and cytostatic activities and enzymatic inhibitions of xanthine oxidase, beta-glucosidase and beta-glucuronidase. Concerning the antimicrobial and cytotoxic tests, the oils showed interesting activities towards different Gram-positive bacteria (MIC 45-35 mu g/ml), but had no effect against eukaryotic cells. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.