Advances in Research on the Metabolites of the Major Water-Soluble Components of Danshen

Danshen(Radix salviae miltiorrhizae),a popular traditional Chinese herb medicine,has been used clinically in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases for a long time.Its chemical ingredients consist of both liposoluble components and water-soluble components.It was demonstrated that the water-soluble components of danshen possess different pharmacological effects including antioxidant,scavenging free radicals,inhibiting platelet function and improving microcirculation.Recently,extensive investigations have been done on the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of the water-soluble components of danshen.The researches on the metabolites of danshensu,salvianolic acid A,salvianolic acid B,protocatechuic aldehyde and rosmarinic acid are reviewed here in the hope that the information on the in vivo pharmacokinetic properties of the components is useful to facilitate the evaluation of drug efficacy and for the development of relevant danshen products.