This website discusses the benefits and side effects of various supplements, herbs and drug products, including danshen. Different people may experience different side effects and benefits of a product. Danshen has not been scientific studied thoroughly, you must consult with your doctor before use it. You are encouraged to report adverse side effects to FDA, its website is www.fda.gov., or report the adverse side effects to the manufacturer. Reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document and the information provided herein is believed to be accurate. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Dan Shen Herb AND Dang Shen Herb Dang Shen is different from Dan Shen. Dang shen is known as Codonopsis pilosula (Chinese: 党参; pinyin: dǎngshēn) or poor man's ginseng, while Dan Shen is known as Salvia miltiorrhiza (Chinese: 丹参; pinyin: dānshēn), Chinese sage, tan shen, or danshen. [Wikipedia Salvia miltiorrhiza; Codonopsis pilosula; October 9, 2011]. They both are herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The description of this article refers to Dan Shen Herb not Dang Shen.
Dan Shen Herb Information Dan Shen (丹參; dānshēn), also known as Salvia miltiorrhiza, red sage, Chinese sage, tan shen, or danshen, is a perennial plant in the genus Salvia, highly valued for its roots in traditional Chinese medicine. Native to China and Japan, Dan Shen Herb grows at 90 to 1,200 m elevation, preferring grassy places in forests, hillsides, and along stream banks. People use the Dan Shen Herb to make medicine. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Traditional Uses of Dan Shen Herb Dan Shen Herb has been used for treating chronic renal failure and to prevent and treat heart conditions and strokes in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The Dan Shen Herb is used with kudzu root for the treatment of coronary heart disease. Danshen is also used for treating diabetes in TCM. Some people also use Dan Shen Herb for menstrual disorders, chronic liver disease, rapid heartbeat, tight chest, acne, psoriasis and eczema. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Key ingredients of Dan Shen Herb Dan Shen Herb contains danshensu, protocatechuic aldehyde, salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA. [6] Some writers consider Tanshinone 2A is the main consitituent of Dan Shen Herb, but actually, many other ingredients of Dan Shen Herb are functional. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Dan Shen Herb Benefits Dan Shen herb benefits may have many, but clinical support is limited for most of its health claims. Here I highlight a few studies on how its active ingredients may benefit our cardiovascular system. Dan Shen Herb has been wildly used to treat cardiovascular diseases for hundreds of years in China. Animal studies have suggested that Dan Shen Herb may have benefits of blood pressure lowering and anti-fibrinolytic activities. Further, it is capable to inhibit platelet aggregation [1,2] Dan Shen Herb aqueous extract, and its ingredients such as danshensu, tanshinone, dihydrotanshinone and salvianolic acid B are found to have vasorelaxant effects. [7-10] Salvianolic acids have potent anti-oxidative capabilities. Its cardiovascular protection is related to its anti-oxidative activities, reduction of leukocyte- endothelial adherence, inhibition of inflammation and indirect regulation of immune function. [A1] . Tanshinone II-A, a key Dan Shen ingredient, decreased and stabilized atherosclerotic plaques in Apolipoprotein-E knockout (ApoE(-/-)) mice maintained on a high cholesterol diet. [A2] In a separate study, this Ddan Shan ingredient significantly improved cardiac function and attenuated fibrosis in 2K2C hypertensive rats. The protective action of Tanshinone II-A is likely mediated by its antioxidant effect, independent of BP control, partially via inhibiting NADPH oxidase. {A3]
Myocardial hypertrophy has been linked to the development of a variety of cardiovascular diseases, and is a risk factor for myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Danshensu, another key ingredient of Dan Shen, significantly decreased heart weight/body weight and left ventricular weight/body weight ratios in rats suffered from myocardial hypertrophy. [A4] The efficacy of a Dan Shen dripping pill for secondary stroke prevention was evaluated in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease. The Dan Shen treatment also contained Panax notoginseng and Dryobalanops camphor. Recurrence in the patient group taking Dan Shen Herb was found to be lower than that in the control group. [A5]
A recent study demonstrated the effect of danshen on diabetic nephropathy in an rat model. High levels of 24-h urinary protein excretion as well as some other signs were reduced after a treatment of danshen (500 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. [A14] A mixture of herbs - Gynostemma pentaphyllum, Coptis chinensis and Dan Shen prevented weight gain with decreased visceral fat in rats suffered from metabolic syndrome. Further this danshen mixture significantly reduced plasma triacylglycerols (triglycerides), and cholesterol. [A15]
Dan Shen decoction was found to accelerate the healing of ulcer induced by acetic acid, increased the content of mucus and inhibited the formation of gastric ulcer in a study of mice. [4] Dan Shen root compounds increased HDL- cholesterol and partially prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis in mice suffered from hyperlipemia-induced osteoporosis. [11]
Cancers Danshen root extracts probably may have benefits on people suffered from certain cancers. Lots of in-vitro studies are supporting this beneficial claim. But, clinical studies are needed to confirm the in vitro anti-cancer activities are "transferable" to the human body.
Tanshinone IIA, a key ingredient of danshen, has been shown to have anti-cancer activities in test-tube. This danshen ingredient exhibited dose-dependent and time-dependent anticancer effects on liver cancer BEL-7402 cells through apoptosis and G(0)/G(1) arrest in the test-tube study. [A7] An earlier study, tanshinones in danshen were found to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in mice. [A12]
Cryptotanshinone is a biologically active compound from the root of danshen. The anti-cancer activities of this danshen ingredient is in synergy with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) for the induction of apoptosis in human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) KBM-5 cells. [A8] An earlier study, showed this danshen chemical anti-tumor effect on two melanoma cell lines with low/high-metastatic capacity (B16/B16BL6). [A13]
Miltipolone, another danshen ingredient, was discovered as a good and broad-spectrum inhibitor against the growth of cancer cells. It acts as a Fe(2+) chelator to conduct its inhibitory activity. [A9]
5,16-dihydrotanshinone I extracted from danshen root was found to be the most effective compound of danshen extracts against breast cancer cells in a study. This danshen compound was also found to be able to induce apoptosis of prostate carcinoma cells via induction of ER stress and/or inhibition of proteasome activity. [A10]
Another Dan Shen Herb active ingredient, Salvianolic acid B, significantly inhibited or delayed the growth of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) in both cultured HNSCC cells and HNSCC xenograft animal models, probably the mechanism involved the inhibition of COX-2/PGE-2 pathway, the promotion of apoptosis, and the modulation of angiogenesis. [A11]
Dan Shen was also found to strongly inhibit the proliferation of both breast cancer cells MCF-7 vec cells and MCF-7 HER2 cells. MCF-7 HER2 cells is related to the overexpression of HER2. HER2 is a receptor tyrosine kinase, and is involved in signal transduction pathways leading to tumor cell proliferation. And, MCF-7 HER2 cells were more resistant to the Danshen-induced inhibition of Akt phosphorylation and p27 up-regulation. [13]
Scientific evidence for Dan Shen benefit is insufficient, more studies are needed to prove danshen benefits. _______________________________________________________________________________________
Danshen Side Effects and Safety Danshen may lead to side effects such as itching, upset stomach, reduced appetite, drowsiness, dizziness, and thrombocytopenia. For details, please, review: Danshen _______________________________________________________________________________________ Dan Shen PianDanshen Side Effects Reference [1] Kang DG, et al. Anti-hypertensive effect of water extract of danshen on renovascular hypertension through inhibition of the renin angiotensin system. Am J Chin Med. 2002;30(1):87-93. Zou ZW, et al. Antithrombotic and antiplatelet effects of rosmarinic acid, a water- soluble component isolated from radix Salviae miltiorrhizae (danshen) Yao Xue Xue Bao. 1993;28(4):241-5. [4] Liu L, Zhang HQ. Effects of Danshen Decoction on experimental gastric ulcer in rats and mice, Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2005 Jan;3(1):35-8. [7] Lam FF, et al. Salvianolic acid B, an aqueous component of danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza), relaxes rat coronary artery by inhibition of calcium channels. Eur J Pharmacol. 2006 Dec 28;553(1-3):240-5. Epub 2006 Sep 23. [8] Kim DD, et al. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase is a molecular vascular target for the Chinese herb Danshen in hypertension. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007 May;292(5):H2131-7. Epub 2006 Dec 15. [9] Lam FF, et al. Relaxant effects of danshen aqueous extract and its constituent danshensu on rat coronary artery are mediated by inhibition of calcium channels. Vascul Pharmacol. 2007 Apr;46(4):271-7. Epub 2006 Nov 18. [10] Lam FF, et al. Dihydrotanshinone, a lipophilic component of Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen), relaxes rat coronary artery by inhibition of calcium channels. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Sep 26;119(2):318-21. Epub 2008 Jul 18. [11] Zhang ZP, et al. Effect of Danshen root compound on blood lipid and bone biomechanics in mice with hyperlipemia-induced osteoporosis Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2008 Aug;28(9):1550-3. [12] Wu BW, et al. Antiviral effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza (Danshen) against enterovirus 71. Am J Chin Med. 2007;35(1):153-68. [12] Yang W, et al, Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) extract inhibits proliferation of breast cancer cells via modulation of Akt activity and p27 level.Phytother Res. 2010 Feb; 24(2):198-204. [A1] Ho JH, et al, Salvianolic acids: small compounds with multiple mechanisms for cardiovascular protection. J Biomed Sci. 2011 May 11;18:30. [A2] Xu S et al, Tanshinone II-A attenuates and stabilizes atherosclerotic plaques in Apolipoprotein-E knockout mice fed a high cholesterol diet. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2011 Aug 26. [A3] Wang P, et al, Tanshinone IIA prevents cardiac remodeling through attenuating NAD (P)H oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species production in hypertensive rats. Pharmazie. 2011 Jul;66(7):517-24. [A4] Tang Y, et al Antioxidant and cardioprotective effects of Danshensu (3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-propanoic acid from Salvia miltiorrhiza) on isoproterenol-induced myocardial hypertrophy in rats. Phytomedicine. 2011 Sep 15;18(12):1024-30. [A5] Xu G. et al, Danshen extracts decrease blood C reactive protein and prevent ischemic stroke recurrence: a controlled pilot study. Phytother Res. 2009 Dec;23(12):1721-5. [A7] Dai Zk et al, Tanshinone IIA activates calcium-dependent apoptosis signaling pathway in human hepatoma cells. J Nat Med. 2011 Aug 19. [A8] Kim JH, et al, Cryptotanshinone enhances TNF-α-induced apoptosis in chronic myeloid leukemia KBM-5 cells. Apoptosis. 2011 Jul;16(7):696-707. [A9] Wang J et al, Identification, structural properties and chelating capacity of miltipolone as a broad-spectrum inhibitor to cancer cells. Eur J Med Chem. 2011 Apr;46(4):1117-21. [A10] Chuang MT et al, 15,16-Dihydrotanshinone I, a Compound of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Induces Apoptosis through Inducing Endoplasmic Reticular Stress in Human Prostate Carcinoma Cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:865435. [A10] Chuang MT et al, 15,16-Dihydrotanshinone I, a Compound of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Induces Apoptosis through Inducing Endoplasmic Reticular Stress in Human Prostate Carcinoma Cells. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:865435. [A11] Zhao Y et al, Salvianolic Acid B, a potential chemopreventive agent, for head and neck squamous cell cancer. J Oncol. 2011;2011:534548. [A12] Gong Y, et al, Bioactive tanshinones in Salvia miltiorrhiza inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in mice. Int J Cancer. 2011 Sep 1;129(5):1042-52. [A13] Chen L, et al, Cryptotanshinone has diverse effects on cell cycle events in melanoma cell lines with different metastatic capacity. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2011 Jul;68(1):17-27. [A14] Lee SH et al, The protective effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza in an animal model of early experimentally induced diabetic nephropathy. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Aug 11. [A15] Tan Y et al, Chinese herbal extracts (SK0506) as a potential candidate for the therapy of the metabolic syndrome. Clin Sci (Lond). 2011 Apr;120(7):297-305.