Determination of chemical and sensory properties of some sage (Salvia spp.) and mountain tea (Sideritis spp.) spices

In this study, principle quality parameters of some sage (Salvia fruticosa Miller, Salvia tomentosa Miller) and mountain tea (Sideritis stricta Boiss. & Heldr. apud Bentham, Sideritis lycia Boiss. & Heldr. apud Bentham), characteristic for herbal tea, were investigated. For this purpose, the amount of total phenolics, flavonoids and their compositions of the samples were determined. Furthermore, moisture, essential oil, extraction yield and antioxidant activity and sensory properties of the samples were also evaluated.Results show that the phenolic contents of the Salvia L. species were high in comparison to those of Sideritis L. species and phenolic compositions of these species were also significantly different. In Salvia species (+)-cathecin, rosmarinic acid, hesperetin and rutin, in Sideritis species rosmarinic acid, quercetin and caffeic acid are determined as the main phenolic components. Moreover, essential oil of Salvia species was found to be higher than those of Siderites. Generally, no statistically significant difference was found when the naturally grown species compared with the cultivated spices.After statistical evaluation, while the highest antioxidant activity was determined for Salvia fruticosa, the highest amount of total phenolics and flavonoids were determined for Salvia tomentosa. However, a substantial correlation was determined between the phenolic components of the plants and their antioxidant activity.As a result of the sensory evaluation, statistically, significant differences could not be found between the species.