Salvia coccinea and Apigenin: A Natural Treasure of Lamiaceae in Pharmacological Innovation

Human health and ever-increasing disease burden demand the inclusion of traditional medicines in modern healthcare sectors. Phytochemicals extracted from medicinal plants can be utilized to prepare nutritious and quality food products that could offer nutritional and curative benefits. This review highlights the nutritional, phytochemical, and therapeutic profile of Salvia coccinea and its bioactive compound i.e., apigenin. Salvia coccinea, the urban green, scarlet, lance-shaped flower, is cultivated in warm climatic conditions from summer to autumn. The micronutrient-dense (sodium, calcium, potassium, zinc, nitrogen, and copper) leaves can prevent micronutrient-deficiency disorders among consumers. Furthermore, apigenin along with other bioactive constituents e.g., luteolin, flavonoids, and phenolic acids offer strong antioxidants, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anti-cardiovascular properties. The free radical scavenging potential of Salvia coccinea and apigenin is responsible for reduced oxidative stress and tumor cell metastasis modulated through PARP-cleavage, caspase-3, ERK, CDK-1, JAK2/STAT3, Bax/Bcl-2, AMPK, and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. They attenuate inflammation-induced disorders such as cardiovascular and neurological disorders via down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, CRP, COX-2, LPO, TGF-β1, NF-κB, and TNF-α), and pathways (IRAK4, MAPK, JAK/STAT3, TLR4, and ERK). The antimicrobial properties against multiple bacterial, viral, and fungal strains make them effective candidates for alleviating microbial disorders. Furthermore, apigenin and Salvia coccinea promote hypoglycemic effect by attenuating α-amylase activity, cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, DRP1 expression by improving GLUT4, GSK-3β, AMPK/PI3K/Nrf2, and Akt pathways. Moreover, Salvia coccinea regulates wound healing after infection, injury, or surgery, in addition to improving agricultural productivity by reducing rodent attacks.