The Different Phytochemical Profiles of <i>Salvia officinalis</i> Dietary Supplements Labelled for Menopause Symptoms
Valentina Maggini,
Gianpaolo Bertazza,
Eugenia Gallo,
Vittorio Mascherini,
Lorenzo Calvi,
Chiara Marra,
Francesca Michelucci,
Chiara Liberati,
Anna Trassi,
Rita Baraldi,
Fabio Firenzuoli
Affiliations
Valentina Maggini
Research and Innovation Center in Phytotherapy and Integrated Medicine—CERFIT, Referring Center for Phytotherapy of Tuscany Region, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
Gianpaolo Bertazza
Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council (IBE CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Eugenia Gallo
Research and Innovation Center in Phytotherapy and Integrated Medicine—CERFIT, Referring Center for Phytotherapy of Tuscany Region, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
Vittorio Mascherini
Research and Innovation Center in Phytotherapy and Integrated Medicine—CERFIT, Referring Center for Phytotherapy of Tuscany Region, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
Lorenzo Calvi
Independent Researcher, Via Fratelli Cervi 14, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Chiara Marra
Casa Medica, Via Camozzi 77, 24121 Bergamo, Italy
Francesca Michelucci
DAI Anesthesia and Rianimation, University Hospital of Pisa, Via Roma 67, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Chiara Liberati
Clinn srl, Piazza Vesuvio 19, 20144 Milan, Italy
Anna Trassi
General Practioner ASL Central Tuscany, Piazza IV Novembre 28, 51035 Pistoia, Italy
Rita Baraldi
Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council (IBE CNR), Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Fabio Firenzuoli
Research and Innovation Center in Phytotherapy and Integrated Medicine—CERFIT, Referring Center for Phytotherapy of Tuscany Region, Careggi University Hospital, 50134 Florence, Italy
Phytochemical screening of four commercial products containing Salvia officinalis was carried out. Total phenolic content was estimated spectrophotometrically through the use of the Folin–Ciocalteau method, flavonoid content was measured through the use of aluminum chloride and 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine colorimetric assays, and isoflavones and α/β-thujones were analyzed through the use of high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and the gas chromatographic method. The analyses revealed the absence of thujones and isoflavones (i.e., genistin, genistein, and daidzein) in all four different extracts. The content of polyphenolic compounds varied among the samples, with the extract T being richer in both polyphenols and flavonoids than the other products by 1.8–3.2 and 1.4–4.0 times, respectively (p-value < 0.05). These results highlight the importance of quality control in salvia-based products since a thujone-free extract rich in polyphenols and flavonoids could be a good candidate for further preclinical and clinical studies to identify an effective herbal approach suitable for the long-term therapy of menopausal symptoms.
