Inhibition of mast cell degranulation by tanshinones from the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

The activity-guided fractionation of the extract of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza B. (Labiatae, Tanshen), led to the isolation of four active components responsible for the anti-allergic activity in vitro. Among them, 15,16-dihydrotanshinone-I and cryptotanshinone demonstrated significant inhibition of the release of beta-hexosaminidase from cultured RBL-2H3 cells in a dose-dependent manner; the IC50 values were calculated as 16 and 36 microM, respectively.