Red Sage
Botanical Description & Habitat
Salvia miltiorrhiza
Family
Lamiaceae
Common Names
Tang shen
Habitat
Asia
Medicinal Parts
Roots, and sometimes the herb
Historical Properties & Uses
Red sage is one of the more popular Chinese herbs. It is included in dozens of traditional formulas, and has been used for literally thousands of years for cardiovascular problems. It is also used for skin lesions, systemic lupus, scleroderma, most signs of heart disease.
Method of Action
Red Sage has Excellent Cardiovascular Effects
Red sage has been shown in scientific research to increase prothrombin and thrombin time, to inhibit platelet aggregation, to inhibit all three stages of coagulation, and to transform fibrinogen to fibrin which was rapidly degraded.
Red Sage was also found to induce dose-related hypotension without changing heart rate, to increase coronary blood flow, to have a positive inotropic effect, to relax all arteries at low concentrations, including the coronary artery. It improves circulation and relieves stasis, lowers the viscosity of whole blood, accelerates electrophoresis of red blood cells, and improves peripheral circulation.
A group of active components of red sage root have been isolated, including tanshinone II-A which is water insoluble, but is rendered soluble by sulfonation, a process that might take place when combined with ginseng, a common Chinese practice. Clinical trials on the sulphonated compound in 108 patients with ischemic heart disease resulted in the alleviation of persistent retrosternal discomfort in over 90% of the patients, and over 85% experienced alleviation of angina pectoris. About 55% of the subjects demonstrated improvement in ischemic ECG readings.
The anti-inflammatory action of red sage has been experimentally confirmed.
Drug Interactions & Precautions
Possible Interactions
The anti-inflammatory activity of red sage can be seriously inhibited by phenobarbital and certain other sedatives and hypnotics (chloral hydrate, meprobamate, etc.), as well as beta-adrenergic blocking agents (propranolol).
Colchicine may increase sensitivity or enhance the response to red sage.
Red sage and sparteine may have synergistic oxytocic activity.
Cyclopropane or halogenated hydrocarbon anesthetics may sensitize the myocardium to the cardiotonic effects of red sage, though the chances of this happening are slight.
Red sage is synergistic with parenteral calcium salts, pancuronium, succinylcholine, rauwolfia alkaloids, ephedrine, epinephrine, and other adrenergic agents.
The inotropic action of red sage may be reduced by propranolol, but the effects of the two substances on av are additive.
The antiarrhythmic agent, quinidine, may increase the hypoprothrombinemic effect of red sage.
Comments
Due to the presence of blood serum platelet aggregation inhibitors, such as linolenic acid, red sage may potentiate the effects of anticoagulant drugs such as heparin.
Oral estrogen supplementation may retard the metabolism of red sage's steroidal hormones.
Safety Factors & Toxicity
Red sage is nontoxic at therapeutic and even very large doses.
Preparation & Administration
Infusion
Use 1-4g of dried herb
Liquid Extract
Use 1-4ml of 1:1 in 45% alcohol
Note: This Herbal Preparation information is a summary of data from books and articles by various authors. It is not intended to replace the advice or attention of health care professionals.
References
Co-operating Group of DS-201 in Shanghai. Clinical observation of sodium tanshinone II-A sulfonate injection on coronary diseases (108 cases). Zhongcaoyao Tongxum, 1, 37, 1978.
Dharmananda, S. Chinese Herbal Therapies for Immune Disorders. Institute for Tranditional Medicine and Preventive Health Care, 1988.
Lei, X.L. & G. Chiou. Studies on cardiovascular actions of salvia miltiorrhiza. Am J of Chinese Med. XIV(1-2), 26-32, 1986.
Lewis, D.A. Anti-inflammatory Drugs for Plant and Marine Sources, Birkhouse Verlag, Berlin, 1989.
Mowrey, Daniel B., Ph.D. Exper. Psych., Brigham Young University. Director of Nebo Institute of Herbal Sciences. Director of Behavior Change Agent Training Institute. Director of Research, Nova Corp.
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