HPLC Fingerprint of Important Phenolic Compounds in Some Salvia L. Species from Iran

Salvia L. is a large genus of the Lamiaceae family with high medicinal value. Pharmaceutical properties of Salvia species are mainly due to their secondary metabolites, especially phenolic compounds. This study was focused on identification and determination of five bioactive phenolic compounds (rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, caffeic acid, salvianolic acids A and B) in the 41 populations from 27 wild Salvia species of Iran using a simple and reliable HPLC-UV method. The principal component analysis (PCA) technique was used to study differentiation among species according to their phenolic compound profiles. Significant intra- and inter-specific variations were observed in the distribution patterns and contents of phenolic compounds in the studied Salvia species. As a result of this study, it was found that leaves had greater amounts of phenolic compounds as compared to the roots. The highest content of rosmarinic acid (41.53±0.88 mg/g DW) and salvianolic acid A (8.10±0.35 mg/g DW) were found in the leaves of S. verticillata. The leaves of S. syriaca and S. sharifii were rich in salvianolic acid B (54.47±2.00 mg/g DW) and carnosic acid (34.05±1.18 mg/g DW), respectively. The PCA results revealed chemical variations in the Salvia species collected from different regions and could fully distinguish between them based on the phenolic compounds concentrations. The present study demonstrated that apart from S. officinalis, some wild species such as S. verticillata, S. hypoleuca, S. leriifolia and S. virgata can be introduced as potent natural sources for medicinal and industrial purposes.