中国称之为丹参的丹参属于薄荷科唇形科，是中药丹参干燥的根和根茎，几千年来主要用于治疗血瘀、改善脑血管和心血管疾病中的血流。最近的临床前研究表明，丹参具有广泛的药理学特性，可以用于治疗各种肝病。丹参具有保护肝脏免受有害肝毒素的作用，减少肝脏氧化应激，改善脂肪肝，并减轻肝脏炎症、纤维化和癌症。此外，包括凋亡、AMP活化的蛋白激酶、丝裂原活化的蛋白激酶和核因子kappa B等几个关键机制可能参与了丹参在肝脏疾病中的益处。特别是丹参提取物红芪酸B和丹參酮，都具有与丹参相似的治疗活性，因此可能在丹参在肝病中的治疗活性中起关键作用。由于关于该草药的药理学效应的报道零散，本综述旨在整合现有文献以重新评估并确定研究中的差距，以指导未来的研究。本综述聚焦于丹参在改善肝病分子病理学方面的作用，如体外和体内研究中所报道的。

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, called Danshen in Chinese, is the dried root and rhizome of S. miltiorrhiza, which is part of the mint family, Lamiaceae; it has chiefly been used to treat blood stasis and improve blood flow in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases for over 2000 years. Recent preclinical studies have indicated that S. miltiorrhiza has a wide range of pharmacological properties making it useful for the treatment of diverse liver diseases. S. miltiorrhiza protects the liver from harmful hepatotoxins, reduces hepatic oxidative stress, ameliorates steatosis, and alleviates hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. Moreover, several key mechanisms, including apoptosis, AMP-activated protein kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor kappa B, may be involved in the benefits of S. miltiorrhiza in hepatic disorders. In particular, salvianolic acid B and cryptotanshinone, both compounds derived from S. miltiorrhiza, possess therapeutic activities similar to those of S. miltiorrhiza, and thus may play a crucial role in the therapeutic activity of S. miltiorrhiza in liver diseases. Because reports on the pharmacological effects of this herb are scattered, this review aimed to consolidate the available literature to allow the re-evaluation and identification of gaps to guide future research. This review focuses on the role of S. miltiorrhiza in improving the molecular pathology of liver diseases, as reported in in vitro and in vivo studies.