Effects of sage extract on memory performance in mice and acetylcholinesterase activity.

Salvia officinalis L. (sage) has been widely used in the Tunisian traditional medicine for the treatment of digestive system and memory disorders. This work aims to investigate the anti-amnesiac and antioxidant activity of aqueous extract of S. officinalis (ASOE) in mice. Evaluation of memory functions in rodents was assessed by Y-maze active test after an initial acquisition phase. 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=14.5μg/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. These findings suggested that aqueous extract of sage leaves possess a mnemonic effect on adult male mice, confirming their use in traditional medicine.