Salvia, Salvia splendens, SCARLET SAGE / Herbal Medicine …
Botany
The plant is a small perennial shrub, growing to a height of 90 cm. Leaves are ovate, acuminate and light green with toothed margins. Flowers are glabrous, bilabiate and bright red.
Distribution
Native to Brazil.
Recently introduced to the Philippines.
Grows well in Baguio City and other elevated regions.
Popular ornamental bedding or pot plant.
Parts utilized
Bark, leaves.
Properties and constituents
• Study of methanol extract of aerial parts yielded three new diterpenes named splenolide A, B and C.
• Contains neo-clerodane diterpenoid compounds – salviarin and splendidin – believed to have psychoactive effects.
• Considered anxiolytic and psychotropic.
Uses
Folkloric
• No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
Others
• Believed to have psychoactive effects.
• Tincture used by some in combination with Salvia divinorum for meditative effects.
Studies
• Splenolides: Study of aerial parts yielded three new diterpenes: splenolide A, B and C.
• Antimicrobial: Study isolated three major compounds – compound 1 showed larger zones of inhibitions against Gram-positives (B pumilus, B subtilis, S aureus), Gram-negatives (P vulgaris, E coli, P aeruginosa) and Candida albicans.
• Anticoagulant / Toxicity Study: Study of aqueous extract showed the drug to be toxic only in higher doses and causes hemorrhages. Results showed it possesses anticoagulant property, increasing the prothrombin time from 10-15 to 35 seconds, an effect that was plant part-dependent.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
Tinctures in the cybermarket.
Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Diterpenoids from Salvia splendens / Da-Pend Hu et al / Phytochemistry, Vol 46, Issue 4, October 1997, Pages 781-784 / doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(97)00180-5
(2)
PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIMICROBIAL STUDIES OF SALVIA SPLENDENS SELLO / F Zia Khan and Asif Saeed / Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol. 11(2) July 1998, pp.13-21
(3)
TOXICITY AND ANTICOAGULANT ACTIVITY OF SALVIA SPLENDENS / I H Qureshi et al / Pakistan J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.2 (No.2), 1989.
(4)
Salviarin, a new diterpenoid from Salvia splendens / SAVONA G. et al / 1978, J.Chem.Soc.Perkins Trans. I, :643-646.
(5)
Splendidin, a new trans-clerodane from Salvia splendens / SAVONA G. et al / J.Chem.Soc.Perkins Trans. I, :533-534, 1979
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