Phenolic and Terpenic Composition of Salvia guaranitica (Lamiaceae) Hydroethanolic Extract and Cardioprotective, Intestinal, and Anxiolytic Effects

Salvia guaranitica A.St.-Hil. Ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) is native from South America, traditionally used for releasing tension and treating gastrointestinal cramps. It was evaluated for the presence of flavonoids and isoflavones in the extract, and the hypothesis of being cardioprotective under ischemia and reperfusion (I/R), antidiarrheal, antispasmodic and anxyolitic in respective models. For phytochemistry, GC-MS and HPLC-DAD methodologies were used. Cardiac performance after subchronic oral administration of S. guaranitica tincture (S.g-T, 0.95 mg extract/mL) was evaluated in rat isolated perfused hearts exposed to I/R, and mechanisms were characterized. Antispasmodic effects of S.g-T were evaluated on contractile concentration–response curves (CRCs) of carbachol (CCh) and calcium (Ca2+) in rat isolated intestinal tissue. In vivo tests of ricin-oil diarrhea models, open-field (OFT), novel-suppressed feeding (NFT) and tail suspension (TST) tests were performed on mice. Phenolic acids, genistin, luteolin, kaempferol and quercetin glycosides, genins, loliolide, dodecane, farnesene, phytol and isochiapin B were identified. Post-ischemic cardiac recovery was improved by S.g.-T, associated to activation of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and β-estrogenic receptor. S.g.-T also induced antispasmodic effects, as a non-competitive inhibitor of the CCh-CRC and Ca2+-CRC in the intestine. In vivo, S.g.-T showed antidiarrheal activity (95 mg extract/kg) and anxiolytic-like effects (0.95–9.5 mg extract/kg) without sedation or antidepressant-like effects. Therefore, S. guaranitica leaves have potential therapeutic cardioprotective, antidiarrheal, antispasmodic and anxiolytic effects.