Inhibitory Activity of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase by Tanshinones from the Root of Salvia miltiorrhiza

The inhibitory activity of tanshinones from Salvia miltiorrhiza was tested on rat liver diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT). Cryptotanshinone (1) and 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (3) exhibited potent DGAT inhibitory activities dose-dependently with $IC_{50}$ values of $10.5 {\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml{\;}and{\;}11.1{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$. However, tanshinone IIA (2) and tanshinone I (4) showed very weak inhibition ($IC_{50}{\;}value:{\;}>{\;}250{\;}{\mu\textrm{g}}/ml$). A dihydrofuran moiety was seemed to be responsible for the stronger inhibitory activity