Salvia sclarea.   Clary Sage   Family: Labiatae   

PART USED: Aerial parts
TASTE: Wam and aromatic, slightly bitter  ODOR: Aromatic, recalling that of Tolu
ACTIONS
1. Antispasmodic, balsamic.[2]
INDICATIONS
1. Digestive disorders.[2]
2. Kidney diseases.[2]
PART USED: Essential oil- of the flowering herb.
ACTIONS
1. Relaxing.[1]
2. Astringent.[1]
INDICATIONS
External use only.
1. Painful periods- use in massage oil blend, along with warmth, and rub into abdomen and lower back.[1]
2. Headache- dilute and rub into temples.[1]
3. Nervous tension- therapeutic bath.[1]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Do not use during pregnancy.[1]
SIDE EFFECTS: May cause drowsiness. Do not combine with alcohol, or use before driving.[1]
PREPARATIONS
Vaporization.
Therapeutic bath.
Massage oil. Dilute for direct application. Often used as facial oil to remove blemishes.
ORIGIN: Southern Europe, cultivated worldwide.
DESCRIPTION: Leaves large, heart-shaped, pointed, wrinkled, covered with velvety hairs. Flowers, appearing in Summer, blue or white, with large membranous bracts longer than the calyx.
References
Constituents
Research
The oil has been reported to be anticonvulsant in animals and to potentiate the effects of some hypnotics.[1]
The mucilage of the seeds as well as a decoction of the herb has been used in ophthalmic preparations.[2]
References
[1] Atanasova Shopova, A. S. and Rusinov, K. S. (1970) Izu. Inst. Fiziol Bulg. Akad. Sci. 13, 89.
[2] Potter's New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations  R.C. Wren Revised by Elizabeth M. Williamson and Fred J Evans. First published in Great Britain in 1988 and reprinted in 1989 and 1994 by the C. W. Daniel Company Limited. 1 Church Path, Saffron Walden Essex. Published 1988 Printed and bound by Biddles, Guildford ISBN 085207 1973.

Randomized Controlled Trial for Salvia sclarea or Lavandula angustifolia: Differential Effects on Blood Pressure in Female Patients with Urinary Incontinence Undergoing Urodynamic Examination
Geun Hee Seol, PhD,corresponding author1 Yun Hee Lee, MS,1 Purum Kang, BS,1 Ji Hye You, MS,1 Mira Park, PhD,2 and Sun Seek Min, PhD3
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inhalation of Salvia sclarea (clary sage; clary) or Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) essential oil vapors on autonomic nervous system activity in female patients with urinary incontinence undergoing urodynamic assessment.
Study design, location, and subjects
This study was a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial carried out in 34 female patients with urinary incontinence.
Outcome measure
The subjects were randomized to inhale lavender, clary, or almond (control) oil at concentrations of 5% (vol/vol) each. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and salivary cortisol were measured before and after inhalation of these odors for 60 minutes.
Results
The clary oil group experienced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure compared with the control (p=0.048) and lavender oil (p=0.026) groups, a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure compared with the lavender oil group (p=0.034) and a significant decrease in respiratory rate compared with the control group (p<0.001). In contrast, the lavender oil group tended to increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with the control group. Compared with the control group, inhalation of lavender oil (p=0.045) and clary oil (p<0.001) resulted in statistically significant reductions in respiratory rate.
Conclusions
These results suggest that lavender oil inhalation may be inappropriate in lowering stress during urodynamic examinations, despite its antistress effects, while clary oil inhalation may be useful in inducing relaxation in female urinary incontinence patients undergoing urodynamic assessments.
J Altern Complement Med. 2013 Jul; 19(7): 664–670. doi: 10.1089/acm.2012.0148
PMCID: PMC3700459 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Antidepressant-like effect of Salvia sclarea is explained by modulation of dopamine activities in rats.
Seol GH, Shim HS, Kim PJ, Moon HK, Lee KH, Shim I, Suh SH, Min SS.
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY:
The purpose of the present study was to screen aromatic essential oils that have antidepressant effects to identify the regulatory mechanisms of selected essential oils.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The antidepressant effects of essential oils of Anthemis nobilis (chamomile), Salvia sclarea (clary sage; clary), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), and Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) were assessed using a forced swim test (FST) in rats. Rats were treated with essential oils by intraperitoneal injection or inhalation. Serum levels of corticosterone were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
RESULTS:
Among the essential oils tested, 5% (v/v) clary oil had the strongest anti-stressor effect in the FST. We further investigated the mechanism of clary oil antidepression by pretreatment with agonists or antagonists to serotonin (5-HT), dopamine (DA), adrenaline, and GABA receptors. The anti-stressor effect of clary oil was significantly blocked by pretreatment with buspirone (a 5-HT(1A) agonist), SCH-23390 (a D(1) receptor antagonist) and haloperidol (a D(2), D(3), and D(4) receptor antagonist).
CONCLUSIONS:
Our findings indicate that clary oil could be developed as a therapeutic agent for patients with depression and that the antidepressant-like effect of clary oil is closely associated with modulation of the DAnergic pathway.
PMID: 20441789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.035 J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Jul 6;130(1):187-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.035. Epub 2010 May 2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Terpenoids from Salvia sclarea.
Ulubelen A, Topcu G, Eris C, Sönmez U, Kartal M, Kurucu S, Bozok-Johansson C.
Abstract
From an acetone extract of the whole plant Salvia sclarea, seven known diterpenes, sclareol, manool, salvipisone, ferruginol, microstegiol, candidissiol and 7-oxoroyleanone, and two new ones, 2,3-dehydrosalvipisone and 7-oxoferruginol-18-al, as well as two sesquiterpenes, caryophyllene oxide and spathulenol, alpha-amyrin, beta-sitosterol and the flavonoids apigenin, luteolin, 4'-methylapigenin, 6-hydroxyluteolin-6, 7,3',4'-tetramethyl ether, 6-hydroxy apigenin-7,4'-dimethyl ether were obtained. The diterpenoids and the sesquiterpenoids were tested for antimicrobial activity against standard bacterial strains and a yeast. 2,3-Dehydrosalvipisone, sclareol, manool, 7-oxoroyleanone, spathulenol and caryophyllene oxide were found to be active against Staphylococcus aureus, the first and third compound against Candida albicans and the last compound against Proteus mirabilis.
PMID: 7765213 Phytochemistry. 1994 Jul;36(4):971-4. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov