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Prespective

Salvia officinalis in dentistry

Nikhita Narayanan1,3, Lakshmi Thangavelu2,3
1
Bachelor of Dental Surgery, 2Department of Pharmacology, 3Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

A B S T R A C T

Salvia officinalis is a medicinal herb used as an cosmetic, flavoring agent, It has antibacterial, antifungal, anticaries, antiplaque,
antiviral, astringent, and other useful properties, it is also used in dental practice for the management of periodontal disease and
to prevent halitosis. The objective of this article is to highlight various uses of S. officinalis in the dental field along with its use in
medical problems.

Key words: Dental infections, herbal medicine, Salvia officinalis

Introduction which chiefly contain ketones; α-thujone, and

Common name: Sage
Scientific Name: Salvia officinalis.
Family: Mint family: labiatae
Habitat: It is found in dry rocky places.
Characteristics
Shrub ranges up to 70 cm. Several tomentous, gray stems.
Leaves peciolate, oblong or lanceolate, and downy below.
Flowers violet, blue or white-pink in quite loose spikes
till 10 flowers each. Corolla 3 cm, with the upper lip,
contrary to the rest of the “Salvas,” flat. No sticky calyx
and twice shorter than the corolla [Figure 1].[1]
β-thujone. In addition, sage leaf contains numerous
other compounds, including cineol, borneol, tannic
acid; bitter substances like cornsole and cornsolic
acid; fumaric, chlorogenic, caffeic and nicotinic
acids; nicotinamide; flavones; flavone glycosides and
estrogenic substances.[2]
General use
Sage tea or infusion of sage is a valuable agent in
the delirium of fevers and in the nervous excitement
frequently accompanying brain and nervous diseases.
It has a considerable reputation as a remedy, given in
small and often-repeated doses.[3]

It is native to the Balkans and the Mediterranean but
has grown widely elsewhere as a garden and pot herb.
It prefers dry chalky soils in sunny areas but will thrive
in a rich loamy soil with good drainage.[2]
Phytochemical constituents
The primary biologically active component of
common sage appears to be its essential oil,
The active compounds are known to have counter-
irritant, rubefacient, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic,
antifungal, and antiseptic properties.[4]
Apart from medical uses of Salvia officinalis is also used
for cosmetic uses due to its.

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DOI:
10.4103/2155-8213.150870 Figure 1: A pot of Salvia officinalis (sage, also called garden sage, or
common sage) and its flowers (Adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Salvia_officinalis)

Corresponding Author: Mrs. Lakshmi Thangavelu, Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai - 600 077,
Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: lakshmi085@gmail.com

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Narayanan and Lakshmi: Salvia officinalis in dentistry

Pharmacological effects The antibacterial activity of these two extracts against

Antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity.[5] Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and
Antibacterial[6] Actinomyces viscosus were evaluated through broth
Anticandidial[7] macrodilution method. The Minimum Inhibitory
Antiplaque[8,9] Concentration (MIC) of Salvia officinalis and Achillea
millefolium for S. mutans were 6.25 and 50 µg,
Medicinal uses of sage[10,11] respectively. The differences between the two extracts
Stomachic, antigastric, astringent were statistically significant. Salvia officinalis greater
Against difficult digestions, inhibitory effect on growth of all three bacteria. Both
gastritis, heartburn, hiatal hernia, extracts had bactericidal effect in the considered
diarrhea concentration range.
Irritable colon
Diabetes Delamare et al., [11] carried out a similar study
Diuretic on antibacterial activity of the essential oils of
Useful to treat Salvia officinalis L. and Salvia triloba L. cultivated
Amenorrhea in South Brazil. The major constituents of the
Dysmenorrhea oil of S. officinalis were α-thujone, 1,8-cineole,
Hair lotion camphor, borneol, and β-pinene, whereas those of
Antiperspirant S. triloba were α-thujone, 1,8-cineole, camphor, and
Sedative β-caryophyllene. The essential oils of both species
Alzheimer disease exhibited remarkable bacteriostatic and bactericidal
Fibromyalgia activities against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megatherium,
Bacillus subtilis, Aeromonas hydrophila, Aeromonas
Dental Applications of Salvia sobria, and Klebsiella oxytoca. Moreover, the essential
Officinalis oil of S. triloba efficiently inhibited the growth of
Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus, and A. hydrophila
Cicatrizant and bactericidal growth were drastically reduced even in the presence
(Ulcers and wounds) To heal the ulcers, cuts, scratches, of 0.05 mg/mL of the essential oil of S. triloba.
chafing, or any wounds, supporting the cicatrization
and preventing wounds to become infected. Anticandidial activity
• Compresses with the maceration of dry leaves in Boonyanit Thaweboon proved that the anticandidal
white wine or the green plant applied directly on activities of Salvia officinalis L. (S. officinalis) is essential
the wound. oil against Candida albicans and the inhibitory effects on
• For mouth ulcers, dental caries, or gingivitis infusion the adhesion of C. albicans to polymethyl methacrylate
of half a tablespoon of dried herb for mouthwash. (PMMA) resin surface.[7]
It is very useful for herpes treatment.
• Because of its bactericidal and cicatrizant properties, Disc diffusion method was first used to test the
it can prevent scabies sores to become infected. anticandidal activities of the S. officinalis. Then the
(Wash the affected areas with the infusion of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal
dried plant.) This preparation can be use to treat lethal concentration (MLC) were determined by
eczema. modified membrane method.[7]

Gum fortifier The result obtained was that S. officinalis L. essential

With the wine maceration previously mentioned, we
can rinse our mouth in order to fortify our gums. We
can also use the green leaves to rub our teeth and gums
to the same aim.[1]
Bactericidal activity
Dr. Kermanshah et al.,[10] performed an in-vitro study
in to evaluate the cariostatic effect of hydroalcoholic
extract of Salvia officinalis and Achillea millefolium.
oil exhibited anticandidal activity against all strains of
C. albicans with inhibition zone ranging from 40.5 to
19.5 mm. So, it is concluded that S. officinalis L. essential
oil exhibited anticandidal activities against C. albicans
and had inhibitory effects on the adhesion of the cells to
PMMA resin surface. With further testing and development,
S. officinalis essential oil may be used as an antifungal
denture cleanser to prevent candidal adhesion and thus
reduce the risk of candida-associated denture stomatitis.[7]

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Narayanan and Lakshmi: Salvia officinalis in dentistry
Antiplaque activity
Joanne Smullen[8] performed a study to prove that plant
extracts can inhibit formation of dental plaque. The
ability of extracts of Rosmarinus officianalis L., Salvia
officianalis L., unfermented cocoa, red grape seed, and
green tea to inhibit plaque bacteria, glucosyltransferase
activity, glucan, and plaque formation in an in vitro
model using bovine teeth was examined.
Standard susceptibility agar dilution technique was
used for this. They arrived at a conclusion that the plant
extracts, particularly those from R. officianalis L. and
S. officianalis L., inhibited glucosyl tranferase activity,
glucan production, and plaque formation in vitro. The
results suggest that the extracts of R. officianalis L. and
S. officianalis L. may be useful as antiplaque agents.[8]
Jacob George, Shashikant Hegde, KS Rajesh, Arun
Kumar conducted a study on the efficacy of an herbal-
based toothpaste containing sage in the control of
plaque and gingivitis.[9]
The efficacy of Colgate Herbal over Colgate toothpaste
was assessed in this study. At the end of the study, there
were statistically significant reductions in the gingival
index and the plaque index scores within the test group.
It was concluded that the herbal-based toothpaste which
contains calcium carbonate, chamomile, sage, myrrh
eucalyptus, and sodium monoflurophosphate was as
effective as the conventionally formulated dentifrice
in the control of plaque and gingivitis.[9]
Action on gingival inflammation
Pistorius et al.,[12] conducted a study on efficacy of
subgingival irrigation using herbal extracts containing
Salvia officinalis on gingival inflammation. A total
of 89 patients were included in the study and data
were collected at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks
included gingival index (GI), sulcus bleeding index (SBI),
plaque index (PI), and probing depth (PD). Subgingival
irrigation with a herbal-based mouthrinse led to a
significant reduction in both SBI and GI. This regimen
can, therefore, be recommended as an adjunctive
procedure to reduce gingival inflammation.[12]
Action on halitosis
Halitosis, or bad breath, most often starts in the mouth. Poor
oral hygiene allows food particles to collect on the surface
of the tongue, between the teeth or along the gingival (gum)
tissue that surrounds the teeth. Naturally occurring bacteria
in your mouth then break down those food particles,
releasing chemicals that have a strong odor.[13]
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For its bactericidal properties, Salvia officinalis
is adequate to kill bacteria that cause halitosis.
Mouthwashes of Salvia officinalis is prepared by making
an infusion of a spoonful of dried plant per cup of
water.[14,15]
Conclusion
Salvia officinalis has aromatic, carminative, spasmolytic,
antiseptic, astringent, antihidrotic actions. The thujone
in the volatile oil has an antiseptic and antibiotic
action and, when taken as a mouthwash, Salvia deals
effectively with throat infections, dental abscesses,
infected gums, and mouth ulcers. The phenolic acids in
Salvia are particularly potent against S. aureus. Salvia
also has an astringent action due to its relatively high
tannin content. All these prove the importance of Salvia
officinalis in medical as well as dental treatment.
References
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