Sage contains thujone, which is toxic, and in uncooked form should not be consumed chronically.

[LFODPKM ] Letter Key

Latin Name

Salvia officinalis L.

Family

Labiatae/Lamiaceae

Other Common Names

Garden sage, true sage, broad-leafed sage

Description

A small shrub (up to 70 cm tall), sage has very aromatic leaves and blue-violet flowers arranged in whorls.

Part Used

Leaves

Known Active Constituents

• Up to 2.5% essential oil, consisting of -thujone (up to 60%) and -thujone (up to 10%) and other monoterpenoids (particularly cineole and camphor); diterpenoids and triterpenoids (especially oleanolic acid), flavonoids, and phenolic compounds (including rosmarinic, labiatic, and caffeic acids) (1,2); also contains 3% to 7% tannins (3). Three phenolic glycosides were recently identified that had moderate antioxidant effects (4).

Mechanism/Pharmacokinetics

• No information available. However, thujone (especially -thujone) is highly toxic.

[Outline]

• LLatin Name
• FFamily
• OOther Common Names
• DDescription
• PPart Used
• KKnown Active Constituents
• MMechanism/Pharmacokinetics

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Clinical Trials

• A study of an aqueous extract of fresh sage found that pilocarpine-induced sweating was inhibited by the preparation. In an open, 4-week study of 80 patients with idiopathic hyperhidrosis, two preparations of sage (440 mg dried aqueous extract equivalent to 2.6 g of sage) or an infusion made from 4.5 g of sage reduced sweat secretion (the extract was slightly more effective) (1).

Animal/In Vitro

• Sage oil has activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and yeast and has antiviral activity against vesicular stomatitis virus (1).

Other Claimed Benefits/Actions

• Inflammation of oral mucosa
• Pharyngitis
• Dyspepsia
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Excessive sweating
• Cessation of lactation
• Hypotensive
• Menses induction

[Outline]

• CClinical Trials
• AAnimal/In Vitro
• OOther Claimed Benefits/Actions

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Adverse Reactions

• No adverse events attributed to sage have been reported. However, sage contains thujone (also found in wormwood), which appears to act as a central nervous system poison.

Pregnancy/Lactation

• No information available. However, the use of sage is not recommended during pregnancy or lactation.

Animal Toxicity

• In rats, intraperitoneal injection of sage oil caused convulsions at doses above 0.5 g/kg; doses above 3.2 g/kg were lethal. In rats, the oral LD₅₀ of the essential oil was 2.6 g/kg.
• The oral LD₅₀ of mixed - and -thujones was 192 mg/kg in rats, 230 mg/kg in mice, and 395 mg/kg in guinea pigs (1).

[Outline]

• AAdverse Reactions
• PPregnancy/Lactation
• TAnimal Toxicity

[C ] Letter Key

Common Dosage Forms

• Regular internal use is not recommended because sage contains thujone.
• Dried leaf: 1 to 3 g t.i.d.
• Infusion: Made with 1 to 3 g t.i.d.
• Tincture: (1:10, 55% ethanol) 1 to 3 mL t.i.d.
• Extract: 160 mg dried aqueous extract t.i.d.
• Fluid extract: 1:1 (g/mL) 1 to 3 mL t.i.d.
• Dry aqueous extract: 1:1 (g/mL) 1 to 3 mL t.i.d.
• Topical uses
  • Gargle: Made from an infusion (3 g/150 mL) or 2 to 3 drops of essential oil in 100 mL water; or use 5 mL of fluid extract diluted in one glass water, several times daily
  • Aqueous or ethanolic extracts are sometimes applied topically.

[Outline]

• CCommon Dosage Forms
  • Topical uses

Q: So is it dangerous putting a lot of sage into my turkey stuffing?

A: No, go ahead and enjoy your turkey. It has been in the oven a long time and thujone is inactivated by heat. However, merely pouring boiling water over dried herb to make tea or infusion is not enough to inactivate thujone. Intake of thujone over time causes neurological damage (thujone is the toxin in absinthe that led to its ban in almost every country) (5) (see wormwood entry). Very tiny amounts of thujone are permitted in certain flavoring extracts and liqueurs.

1. European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP). Monographs on the medicinal uses of plant drugs. Salviae folium (sage leaf). Fascicule 2. Exeter, UK, 1996.
2. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1996.
3. Bisset NG, Wichtl M. Herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals: a handbook for practice on a scientific basis with reference to German Commission E monographs. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1994.
4. Wang M, Shao Y, Li J et al. Antioxidative phenolic glycosides from sage (Salvia officinalis). J Nat Prod 1999;62:454–456.
5. Strang J, Arnold WN, Peters T. Absinthe: what’s your poison? BMJ 1999;319:1590–1592.