Biologically active components from traditional Chinese medicines

Abstract

During the last two decades numerous natural compounds with novel structures and various biological activities have been isolated from Chinese traditional and herbal medicines. A new group of depsides with potent antioxidant activities and scavenging effects on free radicals, named salvianolic acids have been isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza and related plants. Lignans and triterpenic acids with various biological activities from Schisandra chinensis and related plants not only shed light on the therapeutic effects of these medicinal plants, it also led to the discovery and development of the antihepatitis drug DDB.