Antioxidant effect ofSalvia miltiorrhiza

A strong antioxidant activity, which was measured by the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical, was detected in the methanol extract ofSalvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae). By activity-directed fractionation, compounds 1 and 2 were isolated as antioxidant principles ofS. miltiorrhiza. Compounds 1 and 2 were identified as dimethyl lithospermate and 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)lactamide, respectively, on the basis of spectral data. The radical scavenging effect of compounds 1 and 2 on DPPH radical exceeded that of L-ascorbic acid which is a well known antioxidant. These two compounds also showed prominent inhibitory activity against free radical generation in dichlorofluorescein (DCF) method and cytoprotective effect againstt-BHP in cultured liver cell.