ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) from traditional Chinese medicine, Salvia miltiorrhiza.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions of S. miltiorrhiza were isolated, and their effective components were screened by a fluorimetric assay for inhibition of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Water-soluble fractions, total salvianolic acids and salvianolic acid B markedly decreased ACE activity of rabbit lung tissue. Their IC50 value were (2.45 +/- 0.07), (0.24 +/- 0.02), (0.02 +/- 0.01) g x L(-1) respectively. Lipophilic components or phenanthraquinones including tanshinone I and II showed no changes on the activity of ACE.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>S. miltiorrhiza inhibits angiotensin converting enzyme and its active components are in aqueous extract, in which the main were salvianolic acids including salvianolic acids B.</p>