Constituents from salvia species and their biological activities

The Lamiaceae, a widespread family, comprises 220 genera and 4000 species distributed throughout most of the world as annuals and perennial plants. The increasing number of commonly known crops in this family reflects the intensification of taxonomical and ethnobotanical research in this field. The genus Salvia is widely distributed in various regions of the world including the temperate and warmer zones of the world such as the Mediterranean, Central Asia, the Pacific Islands, tropical Africa, and America. It has also been indicated for hemorrhage, dysmenorrhea, miscarriage, swelling, and insomnia, as well as inflammatory diseases such as edema, arthritis, and endangitiis. Chronic hepatitis and liver fibrosis have also been treated with Tanshen for centuries. The alcohol extract of Danshen is particularly rich in abietanoids and diterpene quinone pigments.