title: Cytotoxic effects of solvent-extracted active components ofSalvia miltiorrhizaBunge on human cancer cell lines.
abstract: Herbal extracts and dietary supplements may be extracted from the medicinal plants used in traditional Chinese medicine, and are used increasingly commonly worldwide for their benefits to health and quality of life. Thus, ensuring that they are safe for human consumption is a critical issue for the preparation of plant extracts as dietary supplements. The present study investigated extracts ofSalvia miltiorrhizaBunge (S. miltiorrhiza), traditionally used in Asian countries to treat a variety of conditions, as a dietary supplement or as an ingredient in functional foods. DriedS. miltiorrhizaroot was extracted with various solvents and under varying extraction conditions, and the effects of the extracts on the viability of five human cancer cell lines were compared. Extracts obtained using 100% ethanol and 100% acetone as solvents exhibited more potent effects compared with extracts obtained using 70 and 30% aqueous ethanol. Furthermore, the active components ofS. miltiorrhizaethanol extracts,known as tanshinones, were investigated. Dihydrotanshinone I was observed to exhibit a higher cytotoxic potential compared with the other tanshinones in the majority of the examined cell lines. Conversely, cryptotanshinone exhibited weak anti-cancer activity. In summary, the results of the present study suggest that the active components obtained from an ethanol extract ofS. miltiorrhizapossess the potential to be used as ingredients in functional and health care foods that may be used to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapeutics in the prevention and/or treatment of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bokyung
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Minjung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Hwan
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan 626-770, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hae Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nam Deuk
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge; cancer; extraction; tanshinones