Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.6, 274-282 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 274 Research Article Open Access Agronomic Practices and Secondary Metabolite Accumulation in Salvia miltiorrhiza Yali Deng, Meifang Li Tropical Medicinal Plant Research Center, Hainan Institute of Tropical Agricultural Resources, Sanya, 572025, Hainan, China Corresponding author: meifang.li@hitar.org Medicinal Plant Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.6 doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0029 Received: 06 Oct., 2025 Accepted: 10 Nov., 2025 Published: 15 Dec., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Deng and Li, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Deng Y.L., and Li M.F., 2025, Agronomic practices and secondary metabolite accumulation in Salvia miltiorrhiza, Medicinal Plant Research, 15(6): 274-282 (doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0029) Abstract Salvia miltiorrhiza, known as Danshen, is an important medicinal herb, whose main secondary metabolites including tanshinones and salvianolic acids are considered responsible for antioxidant activity, cardiovascular protection, among other pharmacological effects. The agronomic practices of light exposure, temperature, water management, soil nutrient fertilization, planting density, pruning, cultivation patterns, and plant hormone regulation can affect the accumulation of such secondary metabolites. Using multi-omics techniques such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, regulatory networks related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis have been unveiled, as well as signaling pathways. Those studies provided a theoretical basis for optimization in agronomic practices. Taking into consideration different environmental factors and control methods of cultivation management that would affect the accumulation of secondary metabolites of Danshen, this study systematically summarizes the results, explains the key regulatory factors and potential synergistic interactions, and then discusses strategies for integrating the best agronomic practices with corresponding molecular studies to promote high-yield, high-quality, sustainable production. Through a synthesis of the current research achievements, the study lays a theoretical foundation for standard cultivation and industrial utilization of the active ingredients of Danshen. Keywords Salvia miltiorrhiza; Secondary metabolites; Agronomic practices; Biosynthetic regulation; Standardized cultivation 1 Introduction Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, most commonly known as Danshen, is one of the most commonly used traditional medicinal herbs in East Asia. Most therapeutic applications, especially in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders, are attributed to its rich array of secondary metabolites. Compounds in tanshinones and salvianolic acids are claimed to show potent bioactivities such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory effects and hence are critical determinants of the medicinal value of the herb (Chen et al., 2021). The pharmacological efficacy of S. miltiorrhiza is closely related to the composition and concentration of its secondary metabolites. Tanshinones are major diterpenoid compounds with cardioprotective and anticancer activities, while salvianolic acids are water-soluble phenolic compounds that serve as the main contributors to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Apart from its applications in medicine, these metabolites also underpin applications in functional foods, nutraceuticals, and quality control of herbal products (Wang et al., 2025). Not only genetic factors but also environmental conditions and cultivation practices importantly influence the accumulation of secondary metabolites in S. miltiorrhiza. Agronomical factors, including light, temperature, soil nutrient management, irrigation, planting density, fertilization regimes, pruning, and plant hormone treatments, can modulate biosynthetic pathways and improve metabolite content. Knowledge of such regulatory effects provides the basis for developing methods to optimize plant cultivation strategies for yield and quality of bioactive compounds (Hou et al., 2024). A systematic investigation into the agronomic influence on the accumulation of secondary metabolites will shed light on the physiological and molecular mechanism of metabolite biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza. In this study, we combine current studies conducted on cultivation variables with their respective biosynthetic and regulatory
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