Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge): A Prospective Healing Sage for Cardiovascular Diseases

Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge) is a valued herbal plant in the Traditional Chinese Medicine. The dried root of this plant (Radix Salvia miltiorrhiza), either alone or in combination with other herbal ingredients, has been used for hundreds of years to treat numerous ailments, especially cardiovascular diseases. For the past several decades, many studies have tried to delineate the putative cardioprotective effects of this folk medicine through the lens of modern scientific research. In this review, we have summarized the current knowledge about the pharmacological potentials of danshen. The main focus is laid on the predominant bioactive compounds in danshen, which include phenolic acids and tanshinones. We discussed the absorption and metabolism of these compounds, and examine in detail the cardioprotective mechanisms during atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and myocardial infarction reperfusion. Keywords: Danshen, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, myocardial reperfusion injury.