Background: Salvia libanotica is an endemic plant species in the Mediterranean region. It is widely used in Lebanon to treat abdominal pain and colds. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the global nutritional value of this plant. Methods: The total phenol content and the antioxidant activity were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteau and DPPH radicals assay, respectively. The antiproliferative (determined by Neutral red and MTT assay) effect of S. libanotica was tested on the epithelial ovarian cancer (SKOV-3) cell line. Microtiter broth dilution method was employed to assess the antibacterial activity. The antihemolytic activity of S. libanotica was assessed using H2O2 hemolysis test. Results: Our results showed that S. libanotica extracts contained high amount of polyphenols. The plant showed also an antioxidant activity, it has inhibited the viability of SKOV-3 cell line in a dose-dependent manner. The extracts were potent against hemolysis of the erythrocytes and showed high bacteriostatic action toward different bacterial species. Finally, S. libanotica showed that itleads to apoptotic death in SKOV-3 by the upregulation of the pro-apoptotic proteins p53 and Bax. Conclusion: The results suggested that S. libanotica could be used in treating for several diseases naturally with the least side effects on human health.
