Phenolic acids are a large group of natural plant substances that according to the wide range of beneficial biological properties have many applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries. The presence of these compounds has been reported in various species of the Salvia genus. Since the quantity and quality of phenolic compounds can be affected by different factors such as genetics and climatic and geographical conditions of the habitat, the study of phenolic acid profile in species and plant populations make it easier to get the best natural resources of these compounds. The present study screened eleven populations of Salvia leriifolia Benth. for the content of total phenolics, rosmarinic acid (RA), lithospermic acid (LA), and salvianolic acid A and B (Sal A, Sal B). Plant samples were collected from Razavi and South Khorasan provinces and Semnan province. Total phenolic content and Phenolic acids were analyzed by spectrophotometry and HPLC methods, respectively. Leaves were main sources of phenolic acids especially RA and Sal B, compared to the roots. The greatest amount of RA and LA in leaves was belonged to Shirahmad population and in roots, was obtained in Helali and Sarogh populations. The leaves of Baghejar and Damanjan populations had the highest values of Sal A and Sal B, respectively while, the maximum amount of these two compounds in root was found in Baghejar population. The highest level of total phenolics was observed in the leaves and roots of Torbat and Helali population, respectively. In conclusion, since among the eleven populations, Shirahmad, Helali, Sarogh, Baghejar, Torbat and Damanjan populations possessed a high potential for production and storage of phenolic acids, they can be introduced as dominant populations for medicinal or industrial purposes. So, application of biotechnology to improve phenolic acid production in these selected populations is recommended for the future investigations.

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