RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To screen angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) from traditional Chinese medicine, Salvia miltiorrhiza. METHOD: 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). RESULT: 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. CONCLUSION: 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.