Salvia Species

Tanshinones, which were extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza (Fam. – Lamiaceae), are being used in traditional Chinese medicine since long times. S. miltiorrhiza is used for the treatment of cardiovascular, coronary, and cerebrovascular diseases. Cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I, and tanshinone IIA were obtained from S. miltiorrhiza and showed many pharmacological effects, including antibacterial, antioxidant, and antineoplastic activities. In the antimicrobial activity of Salvia santolinifolia, Salvia hydrangea, and Salvia mirzayanii, essential oils were investigated. The antimicrobial activity of essential oil from Salvia species may well be due to the presence of synergy between tested compounds and other constituents of the oils with various degrees of antimicrobial activity. Plant cell and tissue culture technology provides an alternative strategy for production of bioactive molecules. The cultures of high yielding cell line werealso established, which were containing higher concentration of cryptotanshinone from S. miltiorrhiza.