Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Transl Med. Nov 28, 2026; 12(4): 127008
Published online Nov 28, 2026. doi: 10.5528/wjtm.127008
Published online Nov 28, 2026. doi: 10.5528/wjtm.127008
Neuropsychiatric effects and safety of Salvia species: A critical narrative review of preclinical and clinical evidence
Marwan Al-Nimer, Department of Pharmacy, Ishtar Institute of Medical Technology, Baghdad 10016, Iraq
Faten Ibraheem, Department of Nursing, Ishtar Institute of Medical Technology, Baghdad 10016, Iraq
Co-first authors: Marwan Al-Nimer and Faten Ibraheem.
Author contributions: Al-Nimer M conceived and designed the study, collected data, performed the literature survey, drafted the manuscript, and revised and proofread the article; Ibraheem F conducted the literature survey, revised the manuscript and performed proofreading; Al-Nimer M and Ibraheem F contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; and all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The authors declared that they did not use AI.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Marwan Al-Nimer, Department of Pharmacy, Ishtar Institute of Medical Technology, Al-Saidiya, Baghdad 10016, Iraq. marwanalnimer@yahoo.com
Received: August 19, 2026
Revised: September 17, 2026
Accepted: October 30, 2026
Published online: November 28, 2026
Processing time: 77 Days and 15.5 Hours
Revised: September 17, 2026
Accepted: October 30, 2026
Published online: November 28, 2026
Processing time: 77 Days and 15.5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: There are many species of sage that are used as traditional medicines for psychiatric problems because they have effects on cognitive function and have sedative and anxiolytic effects. Salvia divinorum has a psychoactive property, producing hallucinations and amnesia, while Salvia miltiorrhiza and other sages have many beneficial neuropsychiatric effects. The majority of research is preclinical, and randomized double-blind controlled studies are needed to show the significant effects of the sage. Encouraging the synthesis of the active ingredient could lead to innovative advancement in medications for psychiatric illnesses.