Clears heat and relieves toxicity — used for tonsillitis, pharyngitis, bronchitis, and respiratory infections from heat toxicity in Lung and Stomach
Cools blood and stops bleeding — used for hemoptysis, epistaxis, hematuria, and hemorrhage from heat entering the blood level
Secondary Actions
Promotes diuresis and clears damp-heat — used for urinary tract infections and liver inflammation from damp-heat in the Lower Jiao
Kills parasites — traditional anthelmintic application for intestinal parasitic infestations
Modern Research
Active Compounds
Rosmarinic acid (up to 33% of EtOAc extract; 4.46% dry weight) — primary phenolic acid; potent anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, and neuroprotective
6-Hydroxyluteolin-7-O-glucoside (100.63 mg/g) — most abundant flavonoid glycoside; anti-inflammatory and antioxidant
Hispidulin — flavone with anti-inflammatory, sedative, and antitumor activity
Luteolin and jaceosidin — anti-inflammatory flavones; inhibit NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines
Caffeic acid and salvianolic acids — phenolic acids with antioxidant and cardioprotective properties
Homoplantaginin and nepitrin — flavonoid glycosides unique to Salvia plebeia
Studied Effects
Sedative and gastroprotective — rosmarinic acid-rich extract shows significant sedative activity in rodent behavioral models and gastroprotective effects against ethanol-induced gastric lesions; rosmarinic acid confirmed as dominant constituent by HPLC (PMID 22941483)
Phytochemical profiling — isolation and HPLC-UV characterization of phenolic acids and flavonoids; 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-glucoside and rosmarinic acid established as quality markers for S. plebeia across four Chinese Salvia species (PMID 35287319)