Danshensu Derivatives: A Series of Promising Drugs With Protective Effects Against Cardiocerebrovascular Diseases and Cancers

Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen in Chinese) is a traditional medicinal plant with an extensive range of cardiocerebrovascular protective effects widely used in China and other Asian countries. Danshensu (DSS) is the most important water-soluble component of Danshen and has significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet aggregation, antitumor, and other pharmacological activities. However, DSS has poor fat solubility and is unstable due to its o-phenol hydroxyl and α-hydroxy carboxylic acids. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new DSS derivatives through reasonable structural modifications to obtain new drugs with better activity, preferable stability, and higher bioavailability. Our team has previously investigated the effect of Danshen on chronic diseases. Through nearly two decades of research, we have made considerable research progress on the impact of DSS derivatives on cardiocerebrovascular diseases. Based on the published literature and our previous work, it was confirmed that DSS derivatives have a wide range of cardiocerebrovascular protective and other pharmacological effects. Here, this review summarized recent research progress on DSS derivatives in terms of design, synthesis, pharmacological effects, and molecular mechanisms to provide new insights for further research.