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·Dan Shen·
Dan Shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) was first recorded in the Han Dynasty’s Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) considers it to have a bitter taste and a slightly cold nature, with functions such as invigorating blood circulation, relieving pain, clearing the heart and calming the mind, cooling the blood, and resolving abscesses. It is suitable for various syndromes caused by blood stasis, blood heat, or a combination of both.
Origin of the Name
The Chinese medicinal herb Dan Shen is the dried root and rhizome of the plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family, which is purple-red in color, hence its alternative names Hong Gen (Red Root), Zi Dan Shen (Purple Dan Shen), and Xue Shen Gen (Blood Root).
In folklore, it is also called “Dan Xin” (Heart of Red), which is related to a story about a young man who, to save his mother, faced numerous challenges and crossed the “Gates of Hell” to an unnamed island to find a herb with purple-blue flowers and red roots, curing his mother’s illness. People admired the young man and believed this herb embodied his sincere heart, thus naming it Dan Xin, which later evolved phonetically to Dan Shen.
Reference from Sogou Baike entry on “Dan Shen”
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Production Environment
Geographical Environment
Dan Shen thrives in environments with mild climates, ample sunlight, humid air, and fertile soil. In China, it is primarily produced in Shandong and Shaanxi provinces. Since the 1970s, the clinical demand for Dan Shen has increased significantly, and due to the reduction of wild resources, artificial cultivation has been initiated in various regions, making artificially cultivated Dan Shen the main source of medicinal Dan Shen.
Shangluo Dan Shen
The Shangluo Dan Shen from Shaanxi is the most famous and has a long history, recorded in various ancient herbal texts, stating that “Dan Shen is found in the He Dong region of Shaanxi and Suizhou.” The ancient He Dong region corresponds to today’s Shangluo area.
Shangluo City in Shaanxi Province is located at the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains, in a unique climatic zone transitioning from warm temperate to subtropical, at the confluence of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Its fresh air, abundant rainfall, and unpolluted soil and water make it an ideal habitat for many medicinal herbs, earning it the title of Natural Pharmacy.
In addition to its geographical advantages, Shangluo also benefits from human factors. Historical records indicate that local farmers have long experience in cultivating Dan Shen. In the early 1970s to 1980s, Professor Qin Guanshu from the Shaanxi Academy of Sciences conducted research on the wild-to-cultivated transition of Dan Shen in this area.
Dan
Shen
Tian Shi Li Shangluo Dan Shen Medicinal Source Base
Currently, the Tianjin Tian Shi Li Group holds a significant market share in the “Compound Dan Shen Dripping Pills” sector. In 1998, Tianjin Tian Shi Li Group selected Shangluo as the production site for Dan Shen and jointly invested with Shangluo to establish Shaanxi Tian Shi Li Plant Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., marking the beginning of the construction of China’s first medicinal source base compliant with GAP standards.
In 2003, the Tian Shi Li Shangluo Dan Shen medicinal source base became the first to pass national GAP certification. In 2005, Shangluo Dan Shen received national geographical indication certification.
According to analyses and identifications by the Tian Shi Li Drug Research Institute, the quality of Dan Shen from Shangluo, Shaanxi ranks among the best, with the content of Dan Shen active ingredients ranging from a minimum of 1.37% to a maximum of 2.88%, and the content of Dan Shen ketone reaching approximately 0.36%, significantly higher than that from other regions.
Reference from Sogou Baike entry on “Shangluo Dan Shen”
Active Ingredients
Active
Ingredients
The water-soluble components of Dan Shen, such as Danshensu A, B, C, D, E, F, G, are among its main active ingredients, with Danshensu A exhibiting the strongest activity. Danshensu A has significant effects in anti-lipid peroxidation and scavenging free radicals, as well as pharmacological actions such as anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-liver cirrhosis, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, neuroprotection, and anti-tumor effects. It is primarily used in the treatment of angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, central retinal artery occlusion, and thromboangiitis obliterans.[1]
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Editor | ISORA
Reviewer | ZHANG
References:
[1] Liao Qi, Wang Zhen, Wei Jingdong, Sun Ying, Bai Yajun, Zheng Xiaohui. Research Progress on the Extraction and Synthesis of Danshensu A [J]. Chinese Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2022, 32(7): 560-561.