Essential Oil Composition, Total Phenol and Flavonoid Contents and Antioxidant Activity of Salvia sahendica at Different Developmental Stages.

Chemical constituents of the essential oil isolated from Salvia sahendica at different growth stages (vegetative, flowering and seeding (S-S) were identified. Among 50 identified oil constituents, 22 compounds were jointly founded in all three developmental stages. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the major portion of the subjected essential oils, and α-pinene (14.20-15.10 %), β-pinene (11.42-12.63 %), bicyclogermecrene (7.83-15.75 %), sabinene (7.35-8.45 %) and germacrene D (2.54-8.30 %) were the main components of the plant essential oils. The extract of the seeding stage was contained the highest phenol and flavonoid contents, along with a higher antioxidant capacity. According to the obtained results, the radical scavenging activity of the plant extracts was increased by improving the developmental stage. The extract of the seeding stage contained the highest phenol and flavonoid contents; it also possessed a greater antioxidant activity in comparison to the other two stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]