Smach_2015_Ann.Pharm.Fr_73_281

INTRODUCTION: Salvia officinalis L. (sage) has been widely used in the Tunisian traditional medicine for the treatment of digestive system and memory disorders. OBJECTIVES: This work aims to investigate the anti-amnesiac and antioxidant activity of aqueous extract of S. officinalis (ASOE) in mice. MATERIALS AND
METHODS: Evaluation of memory functions in rodents was assessed by Y-maze active test after an initial acquisition phase.
RESULTS: Results showed that the S. officinalis aqueous extract had high total phenolic contents (6.2mg gallic E/g extract) and flavonoids (2.44mg catechin E/g extract). It exhibited an interesting scavenging activity (IC50=14.5mug/ml). The mice treated with 300mg/kg body weight for 7 days exhibited a significant decrease in avoidance and discrimination errors during a retention trial compared to control group (P<0.05). Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity significantly decreased in mice treated with the extract of sage. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that aqueous extract of sage leaves possess a mnemonic effect on adult male mice, confirming their use in traditional medicine.