Context: Salvianolic acids are the most abundant water-soluble compounds extracted from the herb Salvia miltiorrhiza L. (Lamiaceae) with antioxidant and protective effects. Objective: This study evaluates the antidiabetic effect of salvianolic acid B (Sal B) in multiple low-dose streptozotocin (MLDS)-induced diabetes in rat. Materials and methods: Rats were divided into control, Sal B40-treated control, diabetic, Sal B20-, and Sal B40-treated diabetic groups. Sal B was daily administered at doses of 20 or 40 mg/kg (i.p.), started on third day post-STZ injection for 3 weeks. Serum glucose and insulin level and some oxidative stress markers in pancreas were measured in addition to the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), histological assessment, and apoptosis determination. Results: After 3 weeks, treatment of diabetic rats with Sal B20 and Sal B40 caused a significant decrease of the serum glucose (p50.05-0.01) and improvement of OGTT. Meanwhile, serum insulin was significantly higher in Sal B20-and Sal B40-treated diabetics (p50.01) and treatment of diabetics with Sal B40 significantly lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) (p50.05), raised glutathione (GSH) (p50.05), and activity of catalase (p50.01) with no significant change of nitrite. Furthermore, the number of pancreatic islets (p50.05) and their area (p50.01) was significantly higher and apoptosis reactivity was significantly lower (p50.05) in the Sal B40-treated diabetic group versus diabetics. Discussion and conclusion: Three-week treatment of diabetic rats with Sal B exhibited antidiabetic activity which is partly exerted via attenuation of oxidative stress and apoptosis and augmentation of antioxidant system.