The leaves and inflorescences of medicinal sage contain up to 0.65% of essential oil per wet weight (in the leaves - up to 2.8% in terms of absolutely dry matter). Essential oils are concentrated mainly in the peltate 8-cell glands, the density of which increases from the base to the middle and further to the apex and edges of the leaf, and the corolla is the poorest in glands. The yield of essential oil from the leaves of salvia officinalis can reach, depending on the cutting phase and the weather, 0.38-0.41% per wet weight.The essential oil of medicinal sage, according to various authors, may contain 60-70 components, but their ratio, depending on the origin, may differ significantly. The ratio of the components determines the aroma, therapeutic efficacy and cost of the essential oil. The essential oil contains pinene, salvene, borneol, cineole (up to 15%), thujone, camphor, zest. Specific gravity of medicinal sage essential oil 0.895-0.909, solubility in 70% alcohol 1: (3-4).
The composition of the essential oil differs significantly depending on the origin, which is associated not only with the growing conditions, but also with genetic factors. Dalmatian essential oil (from the region of Montenegro and Serbia) has a fresh herbal, warm spicy, somewhat camphor aroma. American sage oil from Washington state is no worse than Dalmatian. Contains bornyl acetate 3-6%, borneol 13%, thujone 35-45%. Essential oil from Cuba is similar to that from the USA. The oil from Tunisia is dominated by 1,8-cineole (33.3%), and the amount of α- and β-thujone is in the range of 30-32%. Ukrainian sage oil is produced in small quantities, the content of cineole in it is 16-18%, the sum of α- and β-thujones is more than 40%.
Many authors note the difference in the quantity and qualitative composition of essential oil not only in the phases of development, but also in the layers of leaves, which is determined by their age state, in particular, the content of camphor is 10% higher in old leaves, and in young leaves it is 5% higher. 1,8-cineole, the content of caryophyllene, viridiflorol and humulene is 2% higher. Bosnian authors note that the essential oil content slightly increases with age - young leaves contain less volatile compounds. Also, the content of essential oil increases with increasing altitude. Its content is significantly reduced by windy weather and the placement of plantations in areas not protected from the wind.
Counterfeiting of sage oil is carried out by the addition of oils from cheap sources, mainly from the needles of the juniper of Virginia (Juniperus virginiana L.), which contains a lot of thujone.
Application
Sage oil is used in medicine (as a convulsant) and as an additive to canned food. It goes well with lavender, rosemary, citrus and rose oils. Added to chypre, perfumes, colognes and spicy men's fragrances for aftershave and eau de toilette. Spain, Turkey and Greece also produce essential oils from uncharacteristic sage species that are used to counterfeit Dalmatians. In Spain, the essential oil is often obtained from the species Salvia lavandulaefolia Vahl. or S. hispanorium Lag. with a yield of 0.88%. Cineole camphor oil varies greatly in quality depending on soil, weather and climatic conditions. In Greece, Salvia triloba L. (syn S. fruticosa) is used for processing. The essential oil is colorless, has a pungent camphor smell with notes of rosemary and lavender. Essential oil from Turkey contains: 1,8-cineole 40-46%.Derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid (2-6%) are of great importance - rosmarinic and chlorogenic acids, which are powerful antioxidants. In addition, the leaves contain diterpene bitterness (carnosol), steroids, triterpenes (2-5% ursolic acid), 1-3% flavonoids (apigenin- and luteolin-7-O-glycoside), resins, tannins, the content of which increases by autumn, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, the most important of which is rosmarinic acid. Nicotinic acid and vitamin R are present. The list of trace elements is quite extensive, the ability to concentrate iron, zinc and strontium is separately noted, which should be taken into account when growing it on soils contaminated with industrial emissions.
At present, the insecticidal activity of essential oils is of interest.So, according to Serbian researchers, the essential oil of medicinal sage suppressed the development of rice weevil larvae.
