Abstract A comparison of the yield, chemical composition and antimicrobial action of the essential oils obtained from the flower, leaf and stem of Salvia officinalis L., originating from the southeast region of Serbia was carried out. The oils were obtained by different procedures of distillation (water and steam distillation). Water distillation contributed to a larger oil yield from all parts of the herb in comparison to that which could be achieved by steam distillation. All oils studied contained the whole spectrum of characteristic constituents required by the international standard for the chromatographic profile of sage oil such as: α-pinene, camphene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, α- and β-thujone, camphor, linalool, linalyl acetate, bornyl acetate, and α-humulene. Antimicrobial activity was determined by agar diffusion and broth dilution method. The broth dilution method was modified by the use of cellulose discs, and was applied for determination of minimal inhibitory (MIC) and minimal lethal concentration (MLC). The oil obtained by water distillation had a somewhat higher antimicrobial activity than the oil obtained by steam distillation, independently from the part of the herb.