Comparative assessment of phenolic composition profile and biological activities of green extract and conventional extracts of Salvia sclarea

What if the greenest solvent is no solvent at all? A new study shows that a simple, solvent-free extract of Salvia sclarea outperforms conventional methods in fighting biofilms and enzymes—without toxic residues.

The quest for safer, eco-friendly extraction methods is heating up. Researchers compared green, methanolic, and ultrasonic extracts of Salvia sclarea, a plant long used in traditional medicine. Using HPLC-DAD, they found rosmarinic acid as the main compound in all extracts, but ellagic acid appeared only in the green extract.

The green extract stole the spotlight: it showed superior anti-biofilm activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis, and the highest inhibition of swarming motility in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (68.0 ± 2.1% at MIC). It also excelled in enzyme inhibition, particularly against BChE and AChE. Meanwhile, the ultrasonic extract was a champion at blocking violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum, while both ultrasonic and methanolic extracts showed strong urease inhibition.

Antioxidant tests revealed that green and methanolic extracts performed similarly well across multiple assays, with the green extract leading in metal chelating. The authors conclude that green extraction—solvent-free and cost-effective—offers a renewable, non-toxic alternative for industrial use, aligning with WHO's emphasis on natural products for health.

Key Points

• Green extract: best anti-biofilm and enzyme inhibition.
• Rosmarinic acid dominant; ellagic acid only in green extract.
• Solvent-free method: cost-effective, renewable, non-toxic.