title: Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Activity ofSalvia chloroleucaAerial Extracts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Salvia, known as Maryam Goli in the Persian language, is an important genus that includes approximately 900 species in the Lamiaceae family. There are 58 Salvia species growing naturally in Iran, including Salviachloroleuca Rech. f. and Allen., which grows wild in the northeastern and central parts of the country.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to determine the chemical composition, in vitro antioxidant activity, and total phenol content of various extracts ofS. chloroleuca.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dried aerial parts of the plant were crushed, then sequentially extracted with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The fractions ofS. chloroleucawere subjected to silica gel column chromatography and Sephedex LH-20. The antioxidant activities of these extracts were measured by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the total phenolic contents of the extracts were evaluated using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The separation and purification processes were carried out using different chromatographic methods. Structural elucidation was on the basis 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectral data, in comparison with that reported in the literature. The isolated compounds were salvigenin (1), luteolin (2), cirsiliol (3), β-sitosterol (4), and daucosterol (5). Ethyl acetate extract displayed the highest level of total antioxidants and total polyphenols compared to the other analyzed extracts (n-hexane and methanol). In the FRAP assay, ethyl acetate extract had the highest (230.4±10.5) FRAP value, followed by methanol (211.4 ± 8.3) and n-hexane (143.4 ± 12.04). Total phenol contents were calculated to be 13.8 ± 0.3, 58.25 ± 0.05, and 43.48 ± 0.38 mg of gallic acid/100 g in the n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above-mentioned compounds were isolated for the first time fromS. chloroleuca. The antioxidant activity of this plant could be in part related to isolated flavonoids and sterols. The results of this study indicated thatS. chloroleucacould be an important dietary source of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Iraj
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salimikia
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reza Monsef-Esfahani
authors.affiliation: Medicinal Plants Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Ahmad Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gohari
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrnoosh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salek
keywords: Antioxidant; Flavonoid; Lamiaceae; Phytochemical; Salvia chloroleuca; Sterol