Rhododendrol is an inhibitor of melanin synthesis developed for lightening/whitening cosmetics, it can competitively inhibit mushroom tyrosinase and serve as a good substrate, while it also shows cytotoxicity against cultured human melanocytes at high concentrations sufficient for inhibiting tyrosinase. (+)-Rhododendrol and epi-rhododendrin have anti-inflammatory effect, they can suppress the NO production by activated macrophages in vivo.

6-Hydroxykaempferol is a competitive inhibitor of tyrosinase compared to L-DOPA, it shows also high antioxidant activities.

Silydianin, an active constituent of Silybium marianum, has inhibitory effect on on the in vitro production and release of oxidative products. Silydianin has possible antiinflammatory activity, which regulates caspase-3 activation, affects cell membranes and acts as a free radical scavenger.

Deoxyarbutin possesses a potent ability in skin lightening and antioxidation with less melanosome cytotoxicity, it is an effective hypopigmentation agent, it is widely used in skin lighting. Deoxyarbutin can combate tumour in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of tumour via a p38-mediated mitochondria associated apoptotic pathway.

Cephaeline is a pyridoisoquinoline comprising emetam having a hydroxy group at the 6'-position and methoxy substituents at the 7'-, 10- and 11-positions. It is a conjugate base of a cephaeline(2+). It derives from a hydride of an emetan. Cephaeline was highly active against protected primary CLL cells (relative IC50's 35 nM ) and acted by repressing HIF-1α and disturbing intracellular redox homeostasis.

Mulberroside F shows inhibitory effects on tyrosinase activity and on the melanin formation of melan-a cells, it also exhibits superoxide scavenging activity that is involved in the protection against auto-oxidation, suggests that mulberroside F may be used as a skin whitening agent.

Gnetol significantly suppresses melanin biosynthesis in murine B16 melanoma cells, it has a strong inhibitory effect on murine tyrosinase activity. Gnetol is active in the inhibition of arachidonic acid (AA)-induced platelet aggregation.Gnetol has the IC(50) value of 1.3 uM towards butyrylcholinesterase and shows a reversible and competitive inhibition in the kinetic study.

Orcinol glucoside is anxiolytic agent without sedative effect, it improves depressive behaviour in CUMS rats by downregulating HPA axis hyperactivity and increasing BDNF expression and ERK1/2 phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Orcinol is a 5-alkylresorcinol in which the alkyl group is specified as methyl. It has a role as an Aspergillus metabolite. It is a 5-alkylresorcinol and a dihydroxytoluene.

(-)-Chimonanthine (IC50 = 0.93 uM) shows potent inhibitory effects on melanogenesis in theophylline-stimulated murine B16 melanoma 4A5 cells. (-)-chimonanthine is the (3aS,3a'S,8aS,8a'S)-stereoisomer of chimonanthine. It is an enantiomer of a (+)-chimonanthine.