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REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1574086
This article is part of the Research Topic The Vascular System: Effects of Traditional Medicines and Mechanism of Action View all 9 articles
Anti-atherosclerotic effects and molecular targets of Salvianolic Acids from Salvia miltiorrhiza
Provisionally accepted
Qingzhi Liang 1
Xiaoqin Liu 1
Xin Xu 2
Zhengtao Chen 3
Ting Luo 1
Su Yi 1
Hongyan Xie 1,4 Hong Gao 1,4 chunguang Xie 1,4*- 1 Department of Endocrinology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 2 Department of Emergency, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
- 3 Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
- 4 TCM Regulating Metabolic Diseases Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional chinese medication used extensively as an atherosclerosis (AS) therapeutic agent, has substantial cardiovascular preventive properties and is closely linked to regulating signaling cascades and molecular targets involved in AS. The hydrophilic components of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which are represented by danshensu (DSS), salvianolic acid A (SAA), and salvianolic acid B (SAB), have been shown in preclinical research to reduce endothelial dysfunction, inhibit smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation, block platelet aggregation, have antithrombotic properties, and modulate vascular tone. Further studies have shown salvianolic acid to be clinically beneficial, while some evidence supports its safety and effectiveness in diseases linked to AS. This study reviews the anti-atherosclerotic pharmacological activity, pharmacokinetic characterization, drug interactions, and safety evaluation of salvianolic acid over the last 20 years. It focuses on the cellular targets linked to AS, clarifies the molecular mechanisms of DSS, SAA, and SAB's anti-atherosclerotic activity, and discusses future needs and priorities in light of the limitations of the current studies. It is intended to establish the groundwork and offer a thorough viewpoint for a more in-depth investigation of the studies, clinical use, and product development of salvianolic acid as a natural AS modulator.
Keywords: Salvia miltiorrhiza, Salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, Danshensu, Atherosclerosis
Received: 10 Feb 2025; Accepted: 02 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liang, Liu, Xu, Chen, Luo, Yi, Xie, Gao and Xie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
chunguang Xie, Department of Endocrinology, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
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