Crenulatin has dual- direction effects on apoptosis of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells, inhibitive effect in 25 mg/L and stimulative effect in 100 mg/L group, respectively; the mechanism is related to the alterations of Fas/Bcl-2 expression and caspase-3 activity.

Astragaloside IV is a pentacyclic triterpenoid that is cycloastragenol having beta-D-xylopyranosyl and beta-D-glucopyranosyl residues attached at positions O-3 and O-6 respectively. It is isolated from Astragalus membranaceus var mongholicus. It has a role as an antioxidant, an EC 4.2.1.1 (carbonic anhydrase) inhibitor, a neuroprotective agent, an anti-inflammatory agent, a pro-angiogenic agent and a plant metabolite. It is a pentacyclic triterpenoid and a triterpenoid saponin. Astragaloside IV can protect the myocardium against ischemia/reperfusion injury, inhibit adenovirus replication and apoptosis in A549 cells in vitro, has anti-fibrotic effect against systemic sclerosis, and may be useful in ameliorating food-induced metabolic syndrome and membranous nephropathy. It suppresses the activation of ERK1/2 and JNK, and downregulates matrix metalloproteases (MMP)-2, (MMP)-9 in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.