Fatty Acids Pattern, Essential Oil Content and Constituents of Some Sage Species (Salvia sp.) Native to Iran: Usable in Food Industry.

The genus Salvia is a rich source of bioactive compounds with diverse applications in traditional medicine, as well as in the food, and pharmaceutical industries. This study evaluated the essential oil content and composition, seed oil yield, and fatty acid profiles of five native Iranian Salvia species (S. nemorosa, S. spinosa, S. syriaca, S. palaestina, and S. multicaulis) cultivated under uniform ecological conditions. Essential oils were extracted using a Clevenger apparatus based on the hydrodistillation method, while seed oils were obtained via Soxhlet extraction with hexane as the solvent. Both were subsequently analyzed by GC-MS and GC-FID. Results revealed significant interspecific variation. Essential oil content ranged from 0.014% (v/w) in S. nemorosa to 0.37% (v/w) in S. multicaulis. In contrast, the highest seed oil content (53.3% v/w) was found in S. nemorosa, while the lowest (18% v/w) was recorded in S. syriaca. S. nemorosa was rich in spathulenol and caryophyllene derivatives, whereas S. spinosa was dominated by isopentyl isovalerate. S. syriaca and S. palaestina primarily contained germacrene D, while S. multicaulis showed high levels of isoborneol, bornyl acetate, and 1,8-cineole. Palmitic, stearic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were detected in the seed oil of all studied Salvia species. S. multicaulis exhibited the highest levels of palmitic (10.92% ± 0.33% v/w) and linoleic acid (52.57% ± 4.57% v/w), S. palaestina had the highest stearic acid content (2.92% ± 0.045% v/w), and S. nemorosa contained the highest linolenic acid level (46.3% ± 0.594% v/w). Overall, S. multicaulis stood out for its high essential oil content, rich in isoborneol and bornyl acetate, whereas S. nemorosa exhibited the highest seed oil content dominated by linolenic acid. These findings suggest that S. multicaulis and S. nemorosa are promising candidates for essential oil and edible oil production, respectively, offering valuable potential for application in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.