Enhancement of solubility and dissolution rate of cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza

Cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA are three major components in the extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza with pharmacological significance. However, their effective utilization is limited due to poor water solubility and bioavailability. Solid dispersion (SD) of the extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza was prepared to enhance solubility and dissolution of the three major components. Various carriers were screened for SD preparation by conventional solvent method. Dissolution of the components from selected SD systems was compared with commercial tablets of the extract from Salvia miltiorrhiza. The solubility of three components viz., cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA, after forming SD with either of povidone K-30 (PVP K-30) or poloxamer 407, exhibited enhanced solubility in pH 6.8 buffer. Dissolution test revealed that the amount of three components released was higher from SD tablets as compared to the commercial tablets. Pharmacokinetic profile was evaluated using cryptotanshinone as a representative compound. AUC of cryptotanshinone was significantly increased when administered as a solid dispersion.     

Anti-allergic effects of salvianolic acid A and tanshinone IIA from Salvia miltiorrhiza determined using in vivo and in vitro experiments

Salvia miltiorrhiza root has been used in Asian traditional medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and other conditions. Salvianolic acid B from S. miltiorrhiza extracts has been shown to improve airway hyperresponsiveness. We investigated the effects of salvianolic acid A, tanshinone I, and tanshinone IIA from S. miltiorrhiza in allergic asthma by using rat RBL-2H3 mast cells and female Balb/c mice. Antigen-induced degranulation was assessed by measuring β-hexosaminidase activity in vitro. In addition, a murine ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma model was used to test the in vivo efficacy of salvianolic acid A and tanshinone IIA. Tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA inhibited antigen-induced degranulation of mast cells, but salvianolic acid A did not. Administration of salvianolic acid A and tanshinone IIA decreased the number of immune cells, particularly eosinophils in allergic asthma-induced mice. Histological studies showed that salvianolic acid A and tanshinone IIA reduced mucin production and inflammation in the lungs. Administration of salvianolic acid A and tanshinone IIA reduced the expression and secretion of Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of mice with ovalbumin-induced allergic asthma. These findings provide evidence that salvianolic acid A and tanshinone IIA may be potential anti-allergic therapeutics.     

Preventive effects of a purified extract isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza enriched with tanshinone I,tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone on hepatocyte injury in vitro and in vivo

Salvia miltiorrhiza is traditionally used to treat liver disease in Asia. In this study, we tested the ability of a purified extract of S. miltiorrhiza (PF2401-SF) and its constituents, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and cryptotanshinone, to protect against acute and subacute liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride by measuring serum transaminase levels, the reduced form of glutathione (GSH), antioxidant enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation levels in the liver. We also evaluated their ability to protect primary cultured rat hepatocytes from tertiary-butylhydroperoxide (tBH) or d-galactosamine (GalN). PF2401-SF was protective at 50–200 mg/kg per day in acute liver injury and 25–100 mg/kg per day in subacute liver injury. Tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and cryptotanshinon (40 μM), inhibited lactate dehydrogenase leakage, GSH depletion, lipid peroxidation and free radical generation in vitro. PF2401-SF and its major constituents, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone, can protect against liver toxicity in vivo and in vitro due to its antioxidant effects.     

Effects of the coexisting diterpenoid tanshinones on the pharmacokinetics of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone IIA in rat

Tanshinone II_A and cryptotanshinone are the main pharmacologically active components in the Chinese herb drug Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of coexisting tanshinones in liposoluble ethanol extract of S. miltiorrhiza Bge. on the rat pharmacokinetics of tanshinone II_A and cryptotanshinone after oral intra-gavage administration of the tanshinones extract. Rats were given the tanshinones extract 23.3 mg/kg (equivalent to 5.7 mg/kg cryptotanshinone and 8.0 mg/kg tanshinone II_A), cryptotanshinone 5.7 mg/kg, or tanshinone II_A 8.0 mg/kg orally under overnight fasted conditions. Blood samples were taken at predetermined sampling time interval and the concentrations of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II_A were determined by a validated LC–MS/MS method. The peak plasma concentrations of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II_A were considerably increased (about 8 and 10 folds) after oral administration of the extract in comparison with the equivalent dose of single component administration, respectively. The areas under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC) of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II_A were both significantly increased (P < 0.001) as well. Tanshinone II_A was also found after the administration of cryptotanshinone alone, and the fraction of metabolism of tanshinone II_A was 21.0 ± 4.1%. Therefore, the pharmacokinetics of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II_A in rats after administration of the tanshinones extract were significantly affected by the coexisting tanshinones. In conclusion, the herb-drug interactions occurred between coexisting tanshinones and cryptotanshinone or tanshinone II_A affected their absorption, transformation and metabolism.     

丹参有效成分及丹参类制剂抗炎药理作用的研究进展

中药在治疗炎症方面具有疗效较好、毒副作用小等优点。综述丹参Salvia miltiorrhiza中的水溶性成分（丹酚酸A、丹参茎叶总酚酸、丹酚酸B、迷迭香酸、丹参素等）、脂溶性成分（丹参酮II_A、丹参酮I、隐丹参酮、甲基丹参酮等）、丹参多糖,丹参类注射液（丹参注射液、注射用丹参多酚酸、丹红注射液等）以及丹参其他类制剂（如丹参凝胶、丹参涂膜剂等）的抗炎药理作用研究进展,以期为丹参抗炎作用研究及丹参的临床应用提供参考。     

Pharmacokinetics, absorption and tissue distribution of tanshinone IIA solid dispersion

This study was designed to elucidate the pharmacokinetics, absorption, tissue distribution and plasma protein binding properties of tanshinone IIA, a highly lipophilic compound isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza. Tanshinone IIA was isolated using a previously well developed LC-MS/MS method. Its pharmacokinetic characteristics, absolute bioavailability, tissue distribution and plasma protein binding properties were determined. The membrane permeability was evaluated using Caco-2 cells in monolayer. The pharmacokinetic plasma profile of tanshinone IIA after a single intravenous dosing exhibited a triexponential pattern consisting of rapid distribution (t1/2 alpha, 0.024 h), slow redistribution (t1/2 beta, 0.34 h) and terminal elimination phase (t1/2 gamma, 7.5 h). Tanshinone IIA preferentially distributed into the reticuloendothelial system, especially into liver and lung, after either intravenous or oral doses. Tanshinone IIA (99.2 %) bound highly to plasma proteins, among which lipoprotein played an important role (77.5 %). Tanshinone IIA absorption was extremely poor with an absolute bioavailability below 3.5 %. Absorptive saturation was deduced from the fact that the AUC and Cmax increased less proportionally to dose and Tmax was significantly prolonged. The poor absorption of tanshinone IIA may be caused by its low aqueous solubility and limited membrane permeability. There were no significant differences of the apparent permeability coefficient for all tested concentrations and for the apical to basolateral and reverse direction transport, suggesting a passive transport mode and no involvement of an efflux protein. In conclusion, tanshinone IIA has a suitable pharmacokinetic behavior except for its poor absorption. A pharmaceutical strategy for promoting its absorption should be designed to develop tanshinone IIA as a new drug candidate.     

Diterpene quinone tanshinone IIA selectively inhibits mouse and human cytochrome P4501A2

1. Tanshinone IIA is the main active diterpene quinone in the herbal medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza. In untreated mouse liver microsomes, tanshinone IIA selectively inhibited 7-ethoxyresorufin O -deethylation (EROD) and 7-methoxyresorufin O -demethylation (MROD) activities without affecting the oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene, tolbutamide, N -nitrosodimethylamine and nifedipine. Tanshinone IIA was a competitive inhibitor of MROD activity with a K i of 7.2 ± 0.7 nM. 2. In 3-methylcholanthrene-treated mouse liver microsomes, tanshinone IIA and two minor tanshinones, tanshinone I and cryptotanshinone, inhibited liver microsomal MROD activity without affecting EROD and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylation activities at the concentrations up to 1 µ M. Tanshinone IIA induced a type I binding spectrum with a spectral dissociation constant K?s of 2.3 ± 0.8 µ M without cooperativity. 3. In human liver microsomes, tanshinone IIA decreased EROD and MROD activities without affecting the oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene, tolbutamide, chlorzoxazone and nifedipine. 4. In Escherichia coli membranes expressing bicistronic human CYP1A enzymes, tanshinone IIA inhibited EROD activity of CYP1A1 with an IC 50 48 times higher than that for CYP1A2. Tanshinone I and cryptotanshinone had the same IC 50 ratio (1A1/1A2) of 4. 5. The results indicate that tanshinone represents a new group of CYP1A inhibitors, and tanshinone IIA had the highest selectivity in inhibition of CYP1A2.     

Simultaneous determination of cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA in traditional Chinese medicinal preparations containing Radix salvia miltiorrhiza by HPLC

A reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was established for the simultaneous determination of tanshinones in five kinds of traditional Chinese medicinal preparations (TCMPs) containing Radix salvia miltiorrhiza (Chinese herbal name: Danshen). Tanshinones including cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA were successfully separated on a Diamonsil C18 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm i.d., 5 microm). The mobile phase was a mixture of methanol, tetrahydrofuran, water and glacial acetic acid (20:35:44:1, v/v/v/v), employing isocratic elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. Detection was accomplished at 254 nm. The compounds were identified by comparing their retention times and UV spectra in the 200-400 nm range with authentic standards. Regression equations revealed good linear relationship between the peak areas of the constituents and their concentrations (correlation coefficients: 0.9998 for cryptotanshinone, 0.9999 for tanshinone I and 1.0000 for tanshinone IIA). The relative standard deviations (n=6) of retention time and peak area were less than 0.25% and 1.00%, respectively. The recoveries were between 96.2% and 102.5%. The proposed method has been successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of the tanshinones in five kinds of Chinese herbal preparations containing Danshen within 20 min.     

Enhanced production of tanshinone IIA in endophytic fungi Emericella foeniculicola by genome shuffling

Context: Tanshinone IIA, commercially produced from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (C.Y.Wu) (Labiatae), has various biological benefits. Currently, this compound is mainly extracted from plants. However, because of the long growth cycle and the unstable quality of plants, the market demands can barely be satisfied.

Objective: The genomic shuffling technology is applied to screen the high-yield tanshinone IIA strain, which could be used to replace the plant S. miltiorrhiza for the production of tanshinone IIA. The change in the production of tanshinone IIA is clarified by comparing it with the original strain.

Materials and methods: Tanshinone IIA was extracted from Strains cells, which was prepared through 0.5?mL protoplast samples by using hypertonic solution I from two different strains. Then, it was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography at 30?°C and UV 270?nm. Total DNA from the strains was extracted for RAPD amplification and electrophoresis to isolate the product.

Results: In this study, a high-yield tanshinone IIA strain F-3.4 was screened and the yield of tanshinone IIA was increased by 387.56?±?0.02?mg/g, 11.07 times higher than that of the original strain TR21.

Discussion: This study shows that the genetic basis of high-yield strains is achieved through genome shuffling, which proves that genome shuffling can shorten the breeding cycle and improve the mutagenesis efficiency in obtaining the strains with good traits and it is a useful method for the molecular breeding of industrial strains.     

Diterpene quinone tanshinone IIA selectively inhibits mouse and human cytochrome p4501A2

1. Tanshinone IIA is the main active diterpene quinone in the herbal medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza. In untreated mouse liver microsomes, tanshinone IIA selectively inhibited 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) and 7-methoxyresorufin O-demethylation (MROD) activities without affecting the oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene, tolbutamide, N-nitrosodimethylamine and nifedipine. Tanshinone IIA was a competitive inhibitor of MROD activity with a K(i) of 7.2 +/- 0.7 nM. 2. In 3-methylcholanthrene-treated mouse liver microsomes, tanshinone IIA and two minor tanshinones, tanshinone I and cryptotanshinone, inhibited liver microsomal MROD activity without affecting EROD and benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylation activities at the concentrations up to 1 microM. Tanshinone IIA induced a type I binding spectrum with a spectral dissociation constant K(s) of 2.3 +/-0.8 microM without cooperativity. 3. In human liver microsomes, tanshinone IIA decreased EROD and MROD activities without affecting the oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene, tolbutamide, chlorzoxazone and nifedipine. 4. In Escherichia coli membranes expressing bicistronic human CYP1A enzymes, tanshinone IIA inhibited EROD activity of CYP1A1 with an IC(50) 48 times higher than that for CYP1A2. Tanshinone I and cryptotanshinone had the same IC(50) ratio (1A1/1A2) of 4. 5. The results indicate that tanshinone represents a new group of CYP1A inhibitors, and tanshinone IIA had the highest selectivity in inhibition of CYP1A2.     

Inhibitory activity of diacylglycerol acyltransferase by tanshinones from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza

The inhibitory activity of tanshinones from Salvia miltiorrhiza was tested on rat liver diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT). Cryptotanshinone (1) and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (3) exhibited potent DGAT inhibitory activities dose-dependently with IC50 values of 10.5 microg/ml and 11.1 microg/ml. However, tanshinone IIA (2) and tanshinone I (4) showed very weak inhibition (IC50 value: > 250 microg/ml). A dihydrofuran moiety was seemed to be responsible for the stronger inhibitory activity.     

PF2401-SF, standardized fraction of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its constituents, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and cryptotanshinone, protect primary cultured rat hepatocytes from bile acid-induced apoptosis by inhibiting JNK phosphorylation.

Bile acid-induced hepatocyte apoptosis plays an important role in cholestatic liver disease, and the role of apoptosis may be of therapeutic interest in preventing liver disease. The dried root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae) has been used traditionally to treat liver diseases. We investigated the antiapoptotic effects of a standardized fraction of S. miltiorrhiza (PF2401-SF) and its components, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and cryptotanshinone, in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. PF2401-SF was enriched with tanshinone I (11.5%), tanshinone IIA (41.0%), and cryptotanshinone (19.1%). Glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDC)-induced apoptosis, as shown by DNA fragmentation, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, and activation of caspases-8, -9, and -3. PF2401-SF and its components, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and cryptotanshinone showed antiapoptotic activity. Treatment with PF2401-SF or with its components significantly inhibited the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Hydrophobic bile acids activate c-Jun-NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and PF2401-SF inhibited the phosphorylation of JNK and p38. All three components of PF2401-SF inhibited JNK phosphorylation. Addition of inhibitors of MAPK showed that inhibition of JNK decreased apoptosis. These data indicate that PF2401-SF and its components protect hepatocytes from GCDC-induced apoptosis in vitro by inhibiting JNK.     

Stimulation of tanshinone production in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots by β -cyclodextrin-coated silver nanoparticles

Diterpenoid tanshinones, major bioactive constituents of Salvia miltiorrhiza roots are drug candidates against cardiocerebral diseases. To develop sustainable and effective elicitation strategies for the enhanced production of tanshinones, the spherical shaped β-cyclodextrin-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNP-β-CDs, Ø35.3 ± 8.3 nm) were synthesized and applied as elicitor to hairy root cultures of S. miltiorrhiza. The content of total tanshinones including tanshinone I, IIA and cryptotanshinone in the cultures was stimulated by AgNP- β-CD at 30 mg/L. The elicitation effects of AgNP-β-CD on tanshinone were found to be related to the released dissolved Ag⁺ and nanoparticle bumping to the root surface in the cultures. AgNP-β-CD treatment induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) including H₂O₂ and O₂^? production in the hairy roots, leading to enhance activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and up-regulated expressions of key biosynthetic genes for tanshinones in hairy roots. The nano-elicitor increased total production of tanshinones in 18-day-old hairy root cultures to 10.8 mg/L, a 1.8-fold over that of the control. These results indicate that AgNP- β-CD could be a novel effective elicitor in hairy root cultures for the production of pharmaceutical secondary metabolites.     

Antifatigue properties of tanshinone IIA in mice subjected to the forced swimming test

Context: Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a constituent of Danshen Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae); however, its antifatigue activity remains unclear.

Objective: To study the antifatigue properties of Tan IIA and its underlying mechanisms.

Materials and methods: In program I, three mouse groups were separately subjected to three gavages with 0, 1 and 6?mg/kg Tan IIA and forced swimming test (FST) weekly for 8 weeks; in program II, one gavage with 0, 2 and 10?mg/kg Tan IIA was administered plus FST weekly for 4 weeks. Serum glucose, lactate, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were determined after final FST.

Results: Tan IIA significantly prolonged swimming durations in program I but not in program II. Swimming times were 3208?±?1054 and 2443?±?1054?s for the 1 and 6?mg/kg treatments and 856?±?292?s for the vehicle control. The two doses significantly reduced serum glucose levels (40.3?±?8.5 and 60.0 1?±?11.8?mg/kg) and lactate levels (61.3?±?27.5 and 68.8?±?8.5?mg/kg) in treated mice compared with those in control mice (137.5?±?38.6?mg/kg and 122.7?±?18.2?mg/kg, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed regarding SOD, MDA or BUN levels.

Discussion and conclusions: Tan IIA has antifatigue activity and is associated with reductions in serum glucose and lactate levels. Further studies should assess muscle hypertrophy and efficient aerobic glycolysis caused by Tan IIA. Tan IIA has potential as a pharmacological agent for fatigue resistance.     

Inhibition of osteoclast differentiation by tanshinones from the root ofSalvia miltiorrhiza Bunge

We screened natural products to find compounds with anti-osteoporotic potential using a coculture-based system by which osteoclast differentiation is effectively achieved. We found that methylene chloride soluble fraction of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae) suppressed osteoclast differentiation. Five tanshinones, tanshinone IIA (1), tanshinone 1 (2), cryptotanshinone (3), 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (4), and ferruginol (5) were subsequently isolated from fraction. Among the five compounds, compounds 1-4 reduced the formation of TRAP-positive multinuclear osteoclasts. These results suggest that the identified tanshinones may be useful candidates for development of therapeutic agents to treat osteoporosis and other bone-resorptive diseases.     

Enhancement of tanshinone production in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy root culture by Ag+ elicitation and nutrient feeding

Ag (+) was employed as an abiotic elicitor to stimulate the secondary metabolite production in hairy root culture of Salvia miltiorrhiza, a valuable herbal plant. The addition of Ag (2)S (2)O (3) at 15 - 40 microM to the culture between 12 and 22 days post inoculation resulted in more than 2-fold increase in the yields of the three diterpenoid tanshinones, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone. This stimulating effect was dependent on the Ag (+) dose, the day of Ag (+) addition to the culture and the tanshinone species, while the total yield of the three tanshinones (TT) was mainly dependent on the Ag (+) dose, with the highest being attained at 30 microM. The Ag (+) treatment also caused a dose-dependent inhibition of hairy root growth. Sucrose feeding or medium renewal before the addition of Ag (+) to the culture effectively prevented the growth inhibition, and significantly increased the biomass concentration and volumetric tanshinone yield. With combined medium renewal and Ag (+) treatment, in particular, the TT yield was increased 6.6-fold relative to that of the control (55.7 mg/L versus 7.3 mg/L). The elicitor function of Ag (+) in the hairy root culture was validated by its ability to induce the characteristic elicitor responses of plants, the increase in cross-cell membrane ion fluxes and the production of reactive oxygen species.     

Cytotoxicity of major tanshinones isolated from Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) on HepG2 cells in relation to glutathione perturbation.

Tanshinones are abietane type-diterpene quinones isolated from the roots of Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Among the major diterpenes isolated, including cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA and dihydrotanshinone, tanshinone IIA had been shown to posses various pharmacological activities including antioxidant, protection/prevention from angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, and anticancer properties. Tanshinone IIA, usually the most abundant tanshinone present in the herb, has been the focus of studies in its clinical potential, among which its ability to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cell lines. The aim of this study was to study the cytotoxicity of the tanshinones on human HepG2 cells in vitro in relation to intracellular glutathione perturbation (reduced glutathione, GSH and oxidized glutathione, GSSG). Studies using MTT assay showed that all tanshinones decreased cell viability of HepG2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with the cell viability decreased to 60% and 35% after 24 h and 48 h treatment, respectively. Assessment of apoptotic cells with fragmented DNA by flow cytometry indicated that only tanshinone IIA (12.5 and 25 microM) induced apoptosis in the cancer cells. Tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone caused significant decreases in G(1) cells by 23% and 13%, respectively, after 24 h treatment. The declines in G(1) cells were compensated by increases in G(2)/M (15% for tanshinone IIA) and S cells (8% and 13% for tanshinone IIA and cryptotanshinone, respectively). All the tanshinones studied, except tanshinone IIA, elevated GSH/GSSG ratio at low concentrations (1.56 and 3.13 microM), but the ratio decreased, indicating oxidative stress at high concentrations (6.25-25 microM). Taken together, tanshinone IIA caused HepG2 cytotoxicity through apoptosis without influencing oxidative stress, while the other tanshinones showed lower efficacy in inducing apoptosis in the HepG2 cells.     

Effects of tanshinone IIA on the hepatotoxicity and gene expression involved in alcoholic liver disease

Tanshinone IIA is one of the most abundant constituents of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza BUNGE which exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions in many experimental disease models. In the present study, we demonstrated that the standardized fraction of S. miltiorrhiza (Sm-SF) was able to protect RAW 264.7 cells from ethanol-and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of superoxide radical, activation of NADPH oxidase and subsequently death of the cells. Among four main components of Sm-SF, tanshinone IIA was the most potent in protecting cells from LPS-and ethanol-induced cytotoxicity. LPS or ethanol induced the expression of CD14, iNOS, and SCD1 and decreased RXR-alpha, which was completely reversed by tanshinone IIA. In H4IIEC3 cells, 10 microM tanshinone IIA effectively blocked ethanol-induced fat accumulation as evidenced by Nile Red binding assay. These results indicate that tanshinone IIA may have potential to inhibit alcoholic liver disease by reducing LPS-and ethanol-induced Kupffer cell sensitization, inhibiting synthesis of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, inhibiting fatty acid synthesis and stimulating fatty acid oxidation.     

不同采收期山东产丹参脂溶性成分含量变化的研究

目的研究不同采收期山东产紫花丹参和白花丹参脂溶性成分含量的变化,为丹参栽培提供理论依据。方法采用高效液相色谱法测定不同采收期白花丹参和紫花丹参中隐丹参酮、丹参酮Ⅰ和丹参酮ⅡA含量。结果紫花丹参和白花丹参脂溶性成分总含量8月份最高,含量分别为1.02%、1.21%。结论丹参脂溶性成分8月呈现积累最高峰。     

Salvia miltiorrhiza: A source for anti-Alzheimer’s disease drugs

Context: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of elderly people worldwide. However, no efficient therapeutic method for AD has yet been developed. Recently, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Lamiaceae), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine which is widely used for treating cardio-cerebrovascular, exerts multiple neuroprotective effects and is attracting increased attention for the treatment of AD.

Objective: The objective of this study is to discuss the neuroprotective effects and neurogenesis-inducing activities of S. miltiorrhiza components.

Methods: A detailed search using major electronic search engines (such as Pubmed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar) was undertaken with the search terms: Salvia miltiorrhiza, the components of S. miltiorrhiza such as salvianolic acid B, salvianolic acid A, danshensu, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone, dihydrotanshinone, and neuroprotection.

Results: Salvia miltiorrhiza components exert multiple neuroprotective potentials relevant to AD, such as anti-amyloid-β, antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, acetylcholinesterase inhibition, and anti-inflammation. Moreover, S. miltiorrhiza promotes neurogenesis of neural progenitor cells/stem cells in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions: The properties of S. miltiorrhiza indicate their therapeutic potential in AD via multiple mechanisms. In addition, S. miltiorrhiza provides lead compounds for developing new drugs against AD.