Dihydrotanshinone I (DI) is a naturally occurring compound extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, also known as Chinese sage, red sage root, and the Chinese herbal Dan Shen. It belongs to a class of lipophilic abietane diterpenoids and has been reported to have cytotoxicity to a variety of tumor cells, as well as antiviral effects in vitro. In a study Dihydrotanshinone I inhibited the 17,20-lyase activity of CYP17A1 while having minor impact on 17α-hydroxylase and CYP21A2 activities . Since they were first discovered, over 40 related compounds and over 50 hydrophilic compounds have been isolated from Dan Shen.
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