Perilla frutescens is a herbaceous annual plant within the Lamiaceae plant family. It had a wide distribution in Asia, including Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Laos. In addition to its traditional medicinal use, the leaves have a culinary use in sushi, soups, salads, to garnish dishes, and to wrap and eat cooked foods. Traditional medicinal uses include using the leaf and seed to induce sweating to treat nausea, treat allergies, sunstroke, and muscle spasm. 

In concordance with the traditional use, rosmarinic acid has been identified as the fraction responsible for the anti-allergic actions. Other important constituents come from the cyclic monoterpenes and include limonene, perillyl alcohol, and perillic acid. Research has indicated these constituents may be responsible for the reported anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. P. frutescens also boasts significant anti-oxidant activity, which is primarily due to caffeic acid.