References

Tanshinone IIA from Salvia miltiorrhiza inhibits inducible NO synthase, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6

Planta Med. 2003 Nov;69(11):1057-9. Jang SI, Jeong SI, Kim KJ, Kim HJ, Yu HH, Park R, Kim HM, You YO.

The inhibitory effects of tanshinone IIA, a diterpene isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza root, on the production of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were investigated in activated RAW 264.7 cells. This compound markedly inhibited the production of NO, IL-1beta and TNF-alpha, and suppressed the expression of iNOS in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the traditional use of S. miltiorrhiza as an anti-inflammatory herbal medicine may be explained, in part, by the inhibition of NO, IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha production, and expression of iNOS.