ABSTRACT
Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is a perennial plant in the Lamiaceae family of mints. It is also known as red sage or Danshen. It is a common medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The entire plant has been used for the treatment of several diseases for thousands of years. The plant is an erect perennial herb that bears purple or blue flowers. S. miltiorrhiza generally grows in central, north-eastern, west, and southwest China. It has been used for treating various diseases due to the presence of its active constituents. The bioactive constituents present in S. miltiorrhiza are of two groups (a) lipophilic chemicals such as diterpenoid, tanshinones, and (b) hydrophilic compounds such as salvianolic acids. Lipophilic phenanthrene compounds known as tanshinones are of two types, namely, ortho-quinones and paraquinones with various medicinal properties. The prime bioactive constituents present in roots are tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and cryptotanshinone. Major phenolic compounds present in S. miltiorrhiza are salvianolic acid A, 232salvianolic acid B, and Danshensu. The extract of plant mainly from roots possesses various pharmacological activities. The plant has good antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, antiviral activity, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and can be used to treat cardiovascular diseases. It also has other pharmacological activities like antihypertensive activity, antiurolithiasis activity and anticoagulation effect. This chapter presents comprehensive analysis of its bioactives and pharmacology.
