Antibacterial Activities and Composition of the Essential Oils of Salvia sericeo-tomentosa Varieties

The essential oil compositions and antimicrobial activities of two varieties of a new endemic Salvia species growing in Turkey were compared. The essential oils (EOs) were obtained from the aerial parts by hydrodistillation and were analysed by gas chromatography (GC), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major constituents of essential oils were sabinyl acetate (79.9 - 80.1 %) and alpha-pinene (3.2 - 3.8 %) in both varieties. Such high sabinyl acetate content of an essential oil of a Salvia species has not been reported hitherto. The essential oil of Salvia sericeo-tomentosa var. sericeo-tomentosa (ST) (having MIC/MBC values of 0.3/1.25 mg/mL) showed better activity than the essential oil of Salvia sericeo-tomentosa var. hatayica (SH) (having MIC/MBC values of 0.6/1.25 mg/mL) especially against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The ST and SH have exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Whereas only modest antimicrobial activity has been observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and any activity against Enterococcus faecalis, Proteus mirabilis and Klebsiella pneumoniae.