Volatile Composition and Enantiomeric Distribution of Spanish Sage (Salvia officinalis Subsp. lavandulifolia [Vahl] Gams) From Spain

Background: Spanish sage (Salvia officinalis subsp. lavandulifolia [Vahl] Gams) is historically an important medicinal plant with a myriad of uses. Methods: In this work, 11 S officinalis subsp. lavandulifolia essential oils (EOs) from Spain were prepared by steam distillation and characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Results: The main components of S officinalis subsp. lavandulifolia EOs were 1,8-cineole (24.34%-33.96%), camphor (23.48%-28.83%) followed by camphene (4.93%-6.43%) and α-pinene (4.29%-6.61%). Enantiomeric analysis of the EOs by chiral gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (CGC-MS) revealed the presence of 17 chiral compounds. Moreover, a hierarchical cluster analysis using the data reported in the literature and those obtained from this study uncovered 3 different chemotypes based on the relative concentrations of the major components. Conclusion: The chiral compounds found in the EO can be used in Spanish sage authentication.