Bioactive compounds determination in the callus and hydroalcoholic extracts from Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia przewalskii – Preliminary study on their anti-alcoholic activity effects

Studies on hairy roots and callus cultures of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Salvia przewalskii showed that the polysaccharide fraction of yeast extract efficiently stimulated the production of tanshinones in elicited tissues. The aim of our studies was to obtain the biomass of both species enriched in active compounds and to determine tanshinones and phenolic compounds in raw material (callus) and the extracts. Moreover, anti-alcoholic activities of the extracts were tested on one of animal models of alcoholism. It was found that the two Salvia species differed in content of some active compounds. In the hydroalcoholic extracts, an increased content of some compounds was revealed in comparison with the calluses. Only the extract from the S. przewalskii callus (but not from S. miltiorrhiza) reduced significantly an alcohol intake in alcohol-dependent animals, which was correlated with the content of tanshinones (cryptotanshinone, in particular) in the S. przewalskii callus extract, but not with phenolic acids.