Salvia lavandulaefolia essential oil inhibits cholinesterase in vivo.

The essential oil of Salvia lavandulaefolia at two dosage levels was administered orally to rats for five days. Choline esterase activity was measured post mortem in three areas of the brain, both in the absence and presence of TEPP, a specific butylcholine esterase inhibitor, and was found to be significantly reduced in the striatum with both doses and also in the hippocampus at the higher dose. The activity of the enzyme in the cortex was not significantly reduced even at the higher dose. Thus it appears that S. lavandulaefolia oil, shown to inhibit choline esterase in vitro, also has an in vivo effect and this may help explain its traditional use for ailing memory.