Salvia, a member of the Lamiaceae family, represents more than 58 species in Iran. In the present study, antibacterial and cytotoxic activity of extracts obtained from the roots of Salvia tebesana and Salvia sclareopsis were investigated. The antibacterial activity of the extracts was investigated against 4 bacterial strains and yeast using serial dilution method. The petroleum ether and CH2Cl2 extracts of S. tebesana showed a good activity against Gram-positive bacteria particularly Bacillus cereus (MIC 1.25 mg/mL) while Gram-negative bacteria and yeast were resistant to the extracts. Also, the cytotoxic effects of the extracts on A2780 (ovarian), MCF-7 (breast) and DU 145 (prostate) cancer cell lines were examined using AlamarBlue® assay. The petroleum ether and CH2Cl2 extracts of S. tebesana were found to be cytotoxic against the tested cell lines, with IC50 values less than 50 µg/mL. The petroleum ether extract also showed a potent anti-proliferative activity against DU 145 cells with the lowest IC50 value (6.25 µg/mL).
Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Cytotoxic assay; Diterpenoids; Salvia sclareopsis; Salvia tebesana.