Ethnopharmacological relevance: Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM, Danshen), a traditional Chinese herbal drug, has been widely used for hundreds of years to treat coronary artery disease. Materials and methods: We studied the effects of SM on the L-type Ca2+ current (ICa-L) with whole-cell patch-clamp technique in rat ventricular myocytes, and its influence on Ca2+ transient and contractility using video-based edge detection and dual excitation fluorescence photomultiplier systems as well. Results: Exposure to SM solution caused a concentration- and voltage-dependent blockade of ICa-L, and the dose of SM solution (10 g/l) decreased the maximal inhibitory effect of 35.2 +/- 1.2%. However, SM solution did not significantly change the current voltage relationship or reversal potential of ICa-L, nor did it altered the activation and inactivation gating properties of cardiac Ca2+ channels. Meanwhile, SM decreased the amplitude of myocyte shortening and the peak value of Ca2+ transient with a significant decrease in the time to 90% of the baseline (T-r), but the time to 10% of the peak (T-p) was not dramatically prolonged. Conclusions: The results indicated that SM significantly inhibited L-type Ca2+ channels, decreased [Ca2+](i); and contractility in adult rat cardiac myocytes. These findings may be relevant to the cardioprotective efficacy of SM. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.