Floating bacteria- induced sore throat away with sage

Abstract

Salvia officinalis L. (Sage) is a well-known medicinal herb which has long been used as a potential traditional treatment for pharyngitis (sore throat) due to its phytochemical content. In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction of sage in distilled water coupled with gas bubble flotation has enhanced the extraction and condensation of bioactive compounds in the sage crude extract. Phenolic content of the foam – product of flotation, was enriched as high as 126% of the crude extract, and 188% for the tandem round. Phenolic acids such as rosmarinic acid are found abundantly in sage, and the antimicrobial capabilities typically found in these compounds are presented in the foam. The proposed water extraction technique was demonstrated to be able to improve the antimicrobial activity against S. pyogenes of the crude extract by both Kirby-Bauer test and minimum inhibition concentration determination. Keywords: Salvia officinalis, water extraction, gas bubble flotation, phenolic compounds, antibacterial activities, S. pyogenes.