Comparison of the essential-oil composition of Salvia sclarea L. aromatherapy oils from Turkish markets

Abstract

Salvia officinalis does not find a natural habitat in Turkey, however, it is cultivated mostly for export. On the other hand, Salvia fruticosa and S. clarea are gathered from wild-growing populations, cultivated, used and sold instead of S. officinalis for various purposes in Turkey. Previously, the essential-oil composition of S. sclarea from various countries was investigated and samples containing linalyl acetate, linalool, germacrene D, α-terpineol, neryl acetate, geraniol, geranyl acetate, nerol, and sclareol were reported [1,2]. In contrast, the essential oil of S. fruticosa was reported to contain α-pinene, β-pinene, 1,8-cineole, β-myrcene, and camphor as the main components [3]. In the current study, one aromatherapy-grade essential-oil sample was acquired from a pharmacy and another from a herb shop. Additionally, clary sage (adaçayı – local name) was bought from a herb shop and the plant material was used to obtain an essential-oil sample by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger apparatus in the duration of 3 h. The essential oils were analyzed on the Agilent 5977 MSD GC-MS system. The main components of the oil obtained by hydrodistillation were 1,8-cineole (26.8%), camphor (8.9%), α-pinene (6.4%), β-pinene (6.3%), and β-caryophyllene (5.2%). The aromatherapy oil bought from the herb shop contained 1,8-cineole (32.6%), β-caryophyllene (8.7%), camphor (7.3%), α-pinene (6.5%), and β-pinene (5.8%). The aromatherapy oil and the oil obtained from the plant sample sold as clary sage had a composition that is similar to that of S. fruticosa essential oil. The aromatherapy oil acquired from a pharmacy shop, which is sold as an imported product, contained linalyl acetate (52.1%) and linalool (20.0%) the presence of which is indicative of S. sclarea (clary sage) oil. The essential oils were also investigated for their AChE-inhibitory properties. The best noted inhibitory properties of the aromatherapy oil and the hydrodistilled oil were 99±1% and 99.8±0.4%, respectively; whereas the oil sample from pharmacy shop at the same concentration reached the inhibition of 13±2% (n = 3). The results clearly indicate that the products sold as S. sclarea on the Turkish market show a great variation due to the misuse of (adulteration with) S. fruticosa. This study clearly reveals that further legislation and control is required on the Turkish herbal market in order to protect and inform consumers.