New Dimeric and seco-Abietane Diterpenoids from Salvia wardii

The genus Salvia is a rich source of diterpenoids with structural diversity [ 1 – 4 ]. Hundreds of diterpenoids with interesting bioactivities, such as tanshinone IIA (treat cardiovascular diseases), salvicine (a significant antitumor agent), neotanshinlactone (inhibition of breast cancer), and salvinorin A (the first non-nitrogenated opium receptor agonist), have been characterized from the plants within this genus [ 5 – 8 ]. Many species of this genus, such as S. miltiorrhiza , S. yunnanensis , and S. przewalskii , are used to treat cardiovascular diseases [ 9 – 11 ], and S. prionitis is used in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and bacillary dysentery [ 12 ].