1) Medicinal and Aromatic Plant and Drug Research Centre (TBAM), Anadolu University; 2) Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskisehir, Turkey. Published in Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 2, pp. 163-164, March-April, 2002. Original article submited September 18, 2001. 0009-3130/02/3802-0198$27.00 2002 Plenum Publishing Corporation © 198 Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Vol. 38, No. 2, 2002 ANTIOXIDANT AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITIES OF EIGHT Salvia SPECIES* B. Bozan, N. Ozturk, M. Kosar, UDC 547.913+543.51 1 1,2 1,2 Z. Tunalier, and K. H. C. Baser 1,2 1,2 Lipid peroxidation is one of the major factors that cause deterioration during the storage and processing of foods. Synthetic antioxidants, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and propylgallate (PG) are widely used; however, their use in food products is being questioned. Consumers have also became more cautious about the nutrition quality and safety of food additives. Antioxidants of natural origin, therefore, have drawn more attention [1]. Many spices and herbs are found to be potent sources of natural antioxidants. Among the spices reported to have antioxidant activity, rosemary and sage are well known [2, 3]. Salvia (Lamiaceae) represents one of the most diverse genera of plants in Turkey with 88 species of which 51% are endemic [4]. Salvia species have long been used as herbal tea and in a variety of food preparations. Preparations from Salvia officinalis (sage) are used for their medicinal properties, such as antispasmodic and antiseptic [5, 6]. Salvia species mainly contain essential oil and phenolic compounds such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and phenolic diterpenes [7-9]. Salvia species have received particular attention as a source of natural antioxidants [8-13]. The main antioxidant activity of S. officinalis was reported to be attributed mainly to its phenolic compounds, such as carnosic acid, carnasol, and rosmarinic acid [12, 13]. The objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of methanol extracts from eight Salvia species in different in vitro antioxidant test systems. Aerial parts of the plant materials were collected from different regions of Turkey. Voucher specimens are kept at the Herbarium of the Faculty of Pharmacy (ESSE), Anadolu University, Eskisehir. Information on collection sites are given in Table 1. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and linoleic acid were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. 1,1-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) was obtained from Aldrich Chemical Co. All the solvents used for extraction and antioxidant activity studies were of analytical grade. Crude sunflower oil was kindly provided by Demircanlar CO., Eskisehir, Turkey. Powdered plant samples were continuously extracted in a Soxhlet extractor with methanol for 8 hours. Methanol was evaporated to dryness under vacuum at 40°C. Extraction yields are presented in Table 1. Antioxidant Activity in Fe -Induced Linoleic Acid System. Antioxidant activities of methanolic extracts of Salvia +2 species at concentrations of 0.02% and 1% linoleic acid using the method of Fe -induced linoleic acid peroxidation-TBA +2 reactive substances were determined [14]. None of the extracts showed activity at a level of 0.02%. Although all the extracts exhibited antioxidant activity at a concentration of 1%, their inhibition ratios [Inhibition (%) = (A -A ) / A × 100] control sample control were lower than that of BHT. Among them (Table 2) the antioxidant activity was in the order BHT > S. chrysophylla > S. cilicica ~ S. tomentosa > S. halophila > S. fruticosa ~ S. crypthantha > S. sclarea > S. palaestina. Antioxidant Activity Testing by the Rancimat Method. Antioxidant activities of the methanolic extracts of Salvia species were also determined by the Rancimat Method (A 743 Rancimat apparatus, Metrohm AG, Switzerland) at concentrations of 0.02% and 1% (Table 2). A higher induction index indicates higher antioxidant activity. ______ *Presented at the IVth International Symposium on the Chemistry of Natural Compounds, Isparta, Turkey, June 6-8, 2001.