Water soluble components of Danshen

Abstract

The studies on the chemical constituents of Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) were initiated by Japanese researchers in 1930s. They isolated the principle lipophilic components, tanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA, IIB. In 1940s, S. Wang et al. defined the structure of tanshinone I as a diterpenoid quinone, but the relationship between these components and the physiological activity of Danshen was still unknown.