Determination of Essential Oil Bioactive Components and Rosmarinic Acid of Salvia officinalis Cultivated under Different Intra-row Spacing

Salvia officinalis, known also as sage, is a medicinal plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family that spreads all over the word in several countries. The demand for the raw material and extracts of this plant is increasing due to its numerous applications in pharmacy, food and herbal tea production. The present study investigated for the first time the effect of 15, 30 and 45 cm intra-row spacing (plant density) on the main constituents of sage essential oils and rosmarinic acid content. The highest content of essential oils (2.7%) and rosmarinic acid (2.0%) were obtained in plants grown using 15 cm planting space. Likewise, close spacing resulted also in a substantial content of 1,8-cineole (47-50%, GC/FID; 55-60%, GC/MS). This work indicated that 1,8-cineole chemotype was a dominant character of cultivated S. officinalis in south of Jordan. In general, the percent of α-thujone in essential oil was not affected by intra-row spacing. However, the percent of β-thujone decreased from (2-3%, GC/MS) in plants grown using 15 cm intra-row spacing to (1-2%, GC/MS) in plants grown using 30 and 45 cm intra-row spacing. The highest content of α-and β-pinene was recorded in plants grown using 45 cm planting space (8-10%, GC/FID; 5-6% GC/MS). Based on GC/MS, camphor compound was enriched (9-10%) in sage plants grown under 15 cm spacing and greater than in plants grown under 30 (6-7%) or 45 cm (5-6%) spacing. The results make the potential use of sage extracts in the treatment of some human disorders or illness an area of further research.