Medicinal plant of the year 2023 - Sage (Salvia officinalis L.)

Due to "its rich use in history and the present and the great potential for further research", the interdisciplinary study group on the history of development of medicinal plant science at the University of Würzburg chose the sage (Salvia officinalis L.) as the medicinal plant of the year 2023.

Sage from the Lamiaceae family originates from the Mediterranean region and belongs to the group of semishrubs. It flowers in June and July. The inflorescences of sage consist of 5 to 8 tiers of false whorls, with each 4 to 10 flowers. The fruits are smooth ovoid or oblong nutlets ("Klausenfrüchte"). The combination of the four-edged stem, the cross-opposite leaves, the typical flowers with upper and lower lips and the typical fruits that develop inside them makes the labiates family unmistakable.

Sage leaves have antibacterial, fungistatic, virustatic, astringent, secretion-increasing and antiperspirant effects.

According to the evaluation of the Committee for Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), sage leaves and their extracts are used as a traditional herbal medicinal products for the relief of mild dyspeptic complaints such as heartburn and bloating, excessive sweating, inflammations of the mouth or the throat and minor skin inflammations; all this on the basis of long-standing use ("traditional use"). Sage leaves are still of great importance for the preparation of tea.

A detailed report can be found in German on the website of the medicinal plant garden:  Arzneipflanze des Jahres 2023 - Echter Salbei [de]