Shikonin is a natural red naphthoquinone pigment, has antimicrobial, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory effects; a purified shikonin preparation is widely used for the production of medicinals, cosmetics, and some food products; shikonin also enters into the antiinflammatory ointment and cream compositions used for the treatment of burns. It can suppress the cell viability, adhesion, invasion and migratory ability of MGC-803 cells through TLR2- or NF-κB-mediated pathway.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A is a C-glycosyl compound that is 3,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-one which is substituted by beta-D-glucosyl groups at positions 2 and 4, and by a p-hydroxycinnamoyl group at position 6. It is the main bioactive compound of a traditional Chinese medicine obtained from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius).

Cinobufagin, a kind of Chinese materia medica with antitumor effect, is widely used in clinical practice, especially in anti-liver cancer, it also has anti-hepatitis B virus activity . Cinobufagin inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis, may be related to the mitochondria-mediated pathway and GSK-3β/NF-κB pathway. Cinobufagin can significantly relieve cancer pain in mice and raised their pain threshold, mainly upregulating the expression levels of β -END and μ -OR in the hind paw tumor and adjacent tissue.Cinobufagin and bufalin exhibit cardiotonic and natriuretic activities, they also have inhibitory effects on steroidogenesis of aldosterone and cortisol. Cinobufagin is a steroid lactone. It is functionally related to a bufanolide.

Itaconic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that is methacrylic acid in which one of the methyl hydrogens is substituted by a carboxylic acid group. It has a role as a fungal metabolite and a human metabolite. It is a dicarboxylic fatty acid, a dicarboxylic acid and an olefinic compound. It is functionally related to a succinic acid. It is a conjugate acid of an itaconate(2-). Itaconic acid (IA) is an unsaturated dicarbonic organic acid. It can easily be incorporated into polymers and may serve as a substitute for petrochemical-based acrylic or methacrylic acid. It is used at 1–5% as a comonomer in resins and also in the manufacture of synthetic fibres, in coatings, adhesives, thickeners and binders.

Crotonoside is one compound of an antitumor and immunity-regulating pharmaceutical composition of traditional Chinese medicine.

Hernandezine, a novel AMPK activator, can inhibit LPS-induced TNFα expression/production in human macrophage cells (THP-1 and U937 lines). Hernandezine is a potent and selective reversing agent for ABCB1-mediated MDR in cancer cells, it induces autophagic cell death in drug-resistant cancers. Hernandezine inhibits calcium-depletion stimulated calcium entry in human and bovine endothelial cells. Hernandezine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid and a member of isoquinolines.

Apiin is a beta-D-glucoside having a beta-D-apiosyl residue at the 2-position and a 5,4'-dihydroxyflavon-7-yl moiety at the anomeric position. It has a role as an EC 3.2.1.18 (exo-alpha-sialidase) inhibitor and a plant metabolite. It is a beta-D-glucoside, a dihydroxyflavone and a glycosyloxyflavone. It is functionally related to an apigenin. It is a conjugate acid of an apiin(1-). Apiin as a reducing agent, used in biological synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles. Apiin has anti-inflammatory properties, it has inhibitory activity in-vitro on iNOS expression and nitrite production when added before LPS stimulation in the medium of J774.A1 cells. Apiin is an iNOS inhibitor of flavonoid glycosides. Apiin can inhibit the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in activated macrophages. Apiin has anti-inflammatory activity.